The Sky Witch
by Alchemeister
Summary: Maka and Soul are on their first solo mission since the defeat of the Kishin a few months earlier. Their target is not what they expect and Maka has to navigate a new ability. Can the pair overcome madness yet again? *Rating for themes similar to the anime (gore, light swearing, etc.)*
1. Chapter 1

The air was cool on Maka Albarn's pale legs, her black coat fluttering in the wind. The evening was silent so far, but her and her partner, Soul "Eater" Evans, were on a mission. Maka closed her green eyes and focused her energy. In her mind's eye, she could see the blue glowing orbs, known as souls, of innocent people, as well as murderers' souls, which were red, near her location. If she wanted, she could pinpoint specific souls around the world with the help of her partner. But now was not the time. She had to locate the kishin egg soon. She soon found their target about a mile from their location.

The view of the town was vast from the roof. Buildings of various sizes peaked out of the horizon. Some of the homes were made of aged brick, standing for so long. A chimneystack spat out smoke from a warm fire. The sun's setting gaze made the shadows long and dark, stretching eastward. The moon had begun its ascent into the sky, followed by the stars. Trees stretched out around the town, making it seem like the forest fenced it in. To the west, there was a break in the trees, a narrow road for the travelers coming and going. The path seemed to glow in the last minutes of light before the darkness.

"Let's go, Soul," she told him. Soul started the engine of his motorcycle, and they were on their way. As they made their way through the town streets, Maka's blonde pigtails were being pushed back by the wind. "We need to be careful, this target is dangerous. I saw traces of something that I didn't recognize, so be prepared. We may have to use the black blood."

"Whatever. Let's hope it doesn't result to that." His white hair was tied back by a thin black headband and stuck up in the back. His black leather jacket flapped between his shirt and Maka.

They pulled up to a small store. The lights were on, then flicked off. "Guess visitors aren't welcome right now," Soul commented. He stared at the windows where he had seen a figure before the lights went off. In the window's reflection, he could see himself next to Maka, about half a foot difference in height. ' _Hehe, she's still so short..._ ' he thought to himself. Maka waited for Soul to get off the bike so that she could swing her leg back over, her black trench coat rustling with the movement.

"We'll invite ourselves then" Maka replied. "But after we knock. I sense human souls in this building as well. We need to make sure they're safe." She was already on the stoop while Soul finished parking his motorcycle.

' _Defeats the point of inviting ourselves in... '_ Soul took pride in his meister, but he still had his opinions.

Maka rose her fist to knock when a shot was fired. The bullet left a quarter size hole in the door. She raised her gloved hand to her right shoulder and saw red.

"Shit!" Soul yelled running to Maka's side.

"Soul!" ' _Damn_ ,' Maka thought to herself. She started to feel a little dizzy, the adrenaline pumping through her veins. ' _Have to keep calm._ ' Otherwise, she might not defeat her opponent. She could still feel the madness wavelength from Asura's battle, and she didn't want to lose herself in the midst of a battle.

"Right!" Soul's body morphed into a scythe; the blade half black and half blood red was half the size of Maka while the staff was at least a foot taller than her.

Maka was a meister and Soul was a demon scythe. Demon weapons are humans who have the ability to transform from human to weapon form, and vise versa. They are stronger than regular weapons and assist Lord Death in capturing corrupt souls who have strayed onto the path of kishins, or gods of madness. Meisters are humans who train to wield such weapons, and few have the ability to see souls as Maka can. Meisters and demon weapons also have the advantage of sharing soul wavelengths; this is how they are able to fight more quickly and efficiently than with regular weapons. When they resonate their souls, the power resulting in the reaction makes their attacks stronger. Together, the pair took evil souls in the name of Lord Death. They had plenty of experience; Maka had just defeated Asura the Kishin a few months previously. Yet, Soul was still not one of Lord Death's weapons. This was to be their 95th target, and they needed 99, plus a witch's soul before Soul could become an elite weapon. The witch's soul was the final power needed for a weapon to become a strong "Death Scythe." This egg had made the first move and they were now on the defensive.

"Get off my damn property you rascals!" The shopkeeper was now in front of the pair, pointing a rifle at Maka's face.

"Wait, what happened to the kishin egg? It was just here! It just disappeared!" Panic rose in Maka, not from the threat, but from the fact that she had lost the target. ' _How the hell did it disappear?!_ '

"Maka! Calm down!" Soul could feel her panic through the soul wavelength they shared and transformed back into his human form to shield his meister from the threat. He rued his meister's reckless attitude about her own safety. "Calm down old man, we haven't done anything!"

"Sorry Sir, we're from the Death Weapon Meister Academy sent by Lord Death himself," Maka explained quickly from behind Soul. She regained her professional composure, pushing the missing egg from her mind for now.

"Oh, so you're from the DWMA are ya? Get off my property! I didn't file any complaints!" The grouchy old man still had his gun in his hand, and it was obvious that he was not afraid to use it.

"Can we at least get a damn apology?! You shot at us!" Soul yelled in defense.

"Soul, just drop it. We should just-"

"No! You're injured because this jerk didn't think before shooting! No one touches my meister!"

"Soul, please. It's not that bad, and we still have a mission to complete." Maka had to drag Soul to the bike before he finally relaxed, though he was still protective of her as usual. ' _I wish he wasn't so damn stubborn about protecting me in his human form. One day he'll get killed because of me..._ '

"We need to patch you up first." Soul grabbed her by the waist and sat her on the bike.

Just as Maka was about to protest, they heard an explosion to the south. Soul immediately hopped onto his bike and drove them in the direction of the blast. Maka used her Soul Perception to see if it was the target. "So that's where he disappeared!" It seemed the kishin egg had caused the explosion.

"Stupid move on his part. Told us right where he is." Soul smirked at the thought. His gut told him something was up, but he ignored it.

As soon as they arrived at the scene, a plaza in the middle of the town, Soul transformed. The blast had been in the middle, by what had been a fountain. It had been large enough to cause a fire. The fire was making Maka's shadow dance across the bricks, but couldn't light up the figure on the far side.

"By order of Lord Death, your soul is mine!" Maka shouted at the figure.

"If you can defeat me, Maka Albarn" the figure replied tauntingly.

"You obviously know who you're dealing with, so why don't you make it easier on everyone" Soul retorted, still in weapon form.

"Heh, you'll have to do better. With the way you fought Asura, you'll never be a weapon worthy of Lord Death, Mr. Evans." The figure stepped into the light. Her black hair blended into the night, its length to her shoulders, framing her sky blue eyes. Her mouth was contorted in a snicker, and her eyes cold. She stood at a height somewhere around 5'5", though it was hard to tell with her levitating. Her skin was almost pure white, an eerie glow emanating from her. The dress she wore was almost the same shade of her eyes and floor length with a slit down her left leg as if she was hosting a dinner party. Though she didn't need them, she had on blue heels. "You may have heard of me, Sukai."

Maka gasped. ' _The sky witch? Here?_ ' she thought. She had read about her in books, though they had said that she had disappeared after the birth of the DWMA. Apparently, she had reappeared. ' _How does she know us and of the battle with the Kishin?_ '

"Big talk from someone I've never heard of!" Soul retorted. "We can beat you anytime." Apparently, Soul hadn't noticed the use of their names or was ignoring that fact.

"You aren't our target, the mission was for a serial killer in the area. Why are you here?" Maka became annoyed with Soul for his comments and ignorance. Just because they had helped defeat Asura didn't mean they could take on a witch alone and without any preparation.

"To simply send a message to Lord Death. And, of course, to get the upper hand..." With that, Sukai flicked her hand at Maka, which sent her backward. Maka felt her skirt flit around her before slamming into a distant wall. The wind was knocked out of her and she felt light-headed. Whatever the witch had done, it seemed to have taken her breath away.

Time seemed to slow down. In slow motion, Maka first saw Soul transform, then heard him yell, but she couldn't hear what. His voice was muffled like he was talking through a pillow.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to breathe properly. Every breath hitched in her throat, her lungs burning for oxygen.

"Soul…" she whispered. ' _That idiot is going to get himself killed_ ' she thought fearfully.

She saw Soul's white hair and red eyes full of fear and concern before the world went black.


	2. Chapter 2

"Maka!" A flash of light revealed Soul in his human form once more. He had fallen a good fifteen feet away from Maka, as she had lost her grip on him while airborne. "Shit! What the hell did you do to her?!" Soul's panic and fury were clear in his voice.

"Lord Death should understand. Good luck little scythe." Sukai pursed her lips in a knowing smile before floating away into the night.

"What the hell?!"

"Soul…" Maka whimpered. Soul rushed over to his meister, fearing the worst. He watched in fear as she fell into unconsciousness. The pair had been through black blood, magic paralyzing spider webs, and complete madness. ' _What the hell is it this time?'_ Soul thought to himself.

The town square was still bathed in light from the fire, though it was starting to die. The brick felt smooth and cold through Soul's jeans.

"Damnit! What the hell do I do now?!" Soul got up and started pacing in front of Maka. He couldn't go after the witch nor the egg without his partner, and even if he could he wouldn't abandon her. He needed help, guidance. He thought furiously. ' _What's Lord Death's number? Oh, Maka has a rhyme for it. Damnit! What is it!_ '

He frantically tried to remember the rhyme Maka muttered every time she contacted Lord Death.

' _Does she have it written down? God why didn't I pay attention?!'_ He rummaged her pockets, looking for any aide. In her right hand coat pocket was a little notebook. Scrawled on the front in her neat, small handwriting was "for emergencies!"

Soul opened up the booklet and on the first page was important numbers. ' _Trust Maka to prepare for the worst… I should really start doing the same. Focus!'_ At the top of the list she had written "Lord Death - 42-42-564".

Soul ran over to a window nearby, fogged the glass with his breath, and used his finger to write the number. The numbers disappeared into the glass and the window went black. He could hear the ringing of a phone dialing. "Come on, come on…" he muttered under his breath bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Hello! Hiya! How are-" Lord Death's child-like voice came on. His image appeared on the window like a screen. He was in a black robe that covered his entire body and a white mask that was where his face would be. Behind him appeared to be a desert lit by a light blue sky, but Soul knew that was just the Death Room.

"Lord Death! We have an emergency! Maka has been hit by some kind of magic by this witch Suco or Sakka or something! She's unconscious and her soul's beginning to feel faint!" Soul took a shaky breath, his emotions getting the better of him.

"Oh dear! I was afraid something like this would happen. I have already sent Professor Stein." He paused. "Can you describe the witch to me?" His tone became serious, like the witch was the most important problem then. Through the white mask you could see his concern.

"Uhh, well she had black hair and a bunch of blue on. That's all I can remember of her appearance, but she seemed to know about our battle with the Kishin. But what about Maka? Is she gonna be ok? What did you mean by 'something like this'? What the hell do I do?" Soul was on the verge of being hysterical.

"You need to remain calm. How did the witch approach you?"

"Calm!? A witch just attacked my meister and took her out in a single blow, then proceeded to fly off into the night! Now you're telling me you thought this might happen even though we were sent alone!" Soul had lost control of his cool, letting his worry consume him.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement near Maka. Instinctively he changed his arm to a scythe, ready to kill anyone touching his Meister.

"We need to get her back to DWMA." Professor Stein, clad in his stitched-up lab coat, knelt next to Maka. His gray hair billowed in the slight breeze. Soul could see the fire reflected in his big, round glasses.

"Soul, grab your bike and meet me back here."

Soul made to continue his argument when his gaze landed on his Meister's deathly still form and thought better of it. As he ran across the plaza, he could hear Stein speaking to Lord Death.

"Lord Death, please relay a message to Naigus to prepare for an incoming patient?"

"Of course Stein." And with that the window became transparent again and the call ended.

Stein paused for a minute, lost in thought. "Professor, aren't we in a hurry?!" Soul had already jogged his bike over and his patience was running thin.

Stein snapped out of it. He seemed to be continuously scanning the area for something. "Maka's fighting to survive…" he muttered, more to himself than Soul.

"Then why is her wavelength so weak? Shouldn't it be stronger as she fights?" Their connection was strong; Soul knew this. When others couldn't resonate during the war on the kishin, they hadn't had a problem.

The professor ignored the question.

The trio traveled in silence, focused on the road ahead. They were making a beeline for Death City, the DWMA facilities the only place equipped to handle Maka's current condition.

Speeding past the cactus and tumbleweeds, Soul's mind tried to piece together what just happened. A witch that knew about the pair had set a trap for them in a Sierra Nevada town. How'd she know they would be assigned to the kishin egg? Did she study all the students with such intensity or just Maka and himself? And how did she trick Maka's soul perception?

The Nevada heat was non-existent at night. The chilly temperatures were mind-boggling when compared to the inferno during the day. As they rode through the desert, Soul looked over his shoulder at Maka. She was strapped to his bike, and shivering. ' _Shit, is she going to catch a cold if I don't give her my jacket?_ '

' _If we slow down now, it will not benefit her later._ ' Stein spoke to Soul through their wavelengths.

"What the hell?" Soul questioned aloud. In the rush of helping Maka, he forgot that Stein could resonate with anyone, one of the reasons the professor was one of the DWMA's strongest meisters.

' _It's easier to communicate like this while on the run. But don't stop, we need to get Maka back as fast as possible.'_

Soul waited until they reached DWMA to ask Stein the question that was burning at him. He picked up Maka and started carrying her to the dispensary. "What's happening to Maka?"

Stein paused for a second, considering whether he should answer the young weapon. "At first glance, she seems to have been hit with some sort of madness infused magic. Not all of the madness from Asura has been suppressed, especially in the pairs who fought the Kishin directly: Black Star and Tsubaki, Death the Kid with the Thompson sisters, you, and especially Maka, since she fought him the longest." Stein's voice was monotone.

"Why did that witch attack us?"

Soul was answered with silence. He changed tactics and asked another question. "Who is that witch?" Still no answer. ' _Typical,'_ he thought. ' _So I don't get to know a damn thing._ '

Stein and Soul walked quickly in silence until they reached their destination. Soul was reminded of their first encounter with Asura and how Maka had passed out still trying to fight. ' _She's a fighter. She'll be fine, I know it._ ' The mini pep-talk didn't ease Soul's worry.

When the three reached the dispensary, Soul immediately laid Maka in the bed closest to the window. "Is there anything I can do?" Naigus was already working on Maka, but walked back to Soul.

"No, I'm sorry. She'll have to at least stay overnight. I would go home if I were you." Naigus's soothing voice told Soul. Her blue eyes searched Soul's face. Naigus's bandaged hand rested on Soul's shoulder.

Instead of listening to the mummy-nurse, he stayed. While they were bustling around, he leaned against the wall. After the professor and nurse left, Soul took the seat next to the bed Maka was placed in. He stayed up sitting and watching over her until he passed out.

Maka and Soul were fighting Crona, back in the Italian church. Maka was losing ground and would not use Soul to block Crona's attacks, knowing something about Crona's weapon was hurting him each time she blocked.

"Use me damnit!" Soul heard himself yell.

Maka ignored him, continuing to dodge the attacks instead. She was cornered, the doors behind her refusing to open. They both knew she was about to be sliced open. Just as Ragnarok was being swung down, Soul transformed back into his human form to protect her.

His vision faded with Maka's terrified face watching him fall.

Soul was on top of Baba Yaga Castle, the scene of the battle against Asura. He felt weird and out of place, like this wasn't his place to be.

The magic barrier keeping the team (Soul, Maka, Black Star, Tsubaki, Death the Kid and the Thompson sisters) was red and strong from the kishin. The stone battlefield was littered with broken bricks and boulders.

He saw Maka across from him, Asura defeated behind her. ' _She defeated him! But why is the barrier still up? Something isn't right._ ' As Soul finished that last thought, Maka rushed at him. Shock spread across his face as he could see the madness had taken hold in her. She had a murderous look in her eyes and a creepy smile across her mouth. Soul tried to move, but he wasn't in control of his body. Her hands were around his neck and his breath became short.

"Maka?!" Soul woke yelling. He was breathless and found himself in the chair, still next to Maka in the dispensary. Her face was contorted in fear, but he didn't wake her. He looked at the clock and saw that it was 3 AM. Soul turned over and fell back into a restless sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

As Maka fell into darkness, her breathing felt constricted. The further she fell the harder it became to take even the shallowest of breaths. 'Why is it so hard to breathe?'

The hairs on the back of her neck went up. "You're a persistent one aren't you?" Maka heard a familiar raspy voice.

"What the hell are you doing here demon?" Maka managed to say. The dwarf red demon appeared out of the darkness. No, they weren't in darkness anymore. They were in a library. The black shelves were overflowing with books. Most of the books were red, black, or green, like Maka's eyes. There seemed to be endless shelves creating rows and pathways. The tile was green and white checkered, unusual for a library. The walls were covered with more shelves and a window here or there. The windows were covered with heavy drapery, keeping out any natural light. Every few rows there were piles of books threatening to topple over onto the ground. Another peculiar thing about this library was the lack of tables and chairs. There were only two chairs and a table in the center of the room, where there was an opening between the shelves.

"As if you haven't realized it yet..." The demon drawled. At the look of annoyance and confusion on Maka's face, he sighed. "I, the black blood, madness, however you choose to call me, have entered you, finally, and am here to stay."

"...How?" She managed to whisper after a few moments. The hesitation was out of anger and fear.

"Oh, use that head of yours. Obviously, you're smarter than this since you saved Soul from me all those months ago." The demon seemed to have fun playing this game of know-it-all. "What were you just doing?" He seemed to repress a giggle.

Maka thought. ' _Well, Soul and I were on a mission. I remember locating the egg. But it disappeared. I think I got shot, but an explosion happened nearby. We got to the city square and someone was there. Who was it...?!'_

"Her name was Sukai if that helps..." The demon taunted.

' _The Sky witch? That's right! She hit me with some magic to send a message, and something else. The upper hand?'_ Maka collected herself. "So, it was that magic?" She muttered.

"And we have a winner!" He seemed to be making himself at home. He was now lounging on the table in the middle of the room. He was stretched out, his legs swinging, almost touching the floor.

"Where are we?" It had a striking resemblance to the DWMA library but seemed unreal, other-worldly.

"Hmm, so you've been far into your friend's souls, but you've never been in your own. Interesting. I might have the upper hand then." The demon started walking towards her, easily towering over her figure.

' _Has he been growing this whole time?!'_ Maka thought in alarm.

"I think you will make a comparable replacement for Soul, though I'd have preferred him. He had a nice song..." He reached for the small meister.

' _Never..._ ' She thought. She dove into the aisle to her right. Frantically, she searched the shelves and towers, hoping for something useful to show itself. And then she saw a book. The leather-bound volume seemed huge at first glance. The blue writing on the cover read "LAST RESORT - VERY DANGEROUS." There was a buckle clasp keeping it shut. The brass buckle contrasted with the red leather of the book. ' _Worth a shot...'_ She tried to grab the book, but something peculiar happened. It started to glow, and there seemed to be a chain reaction between her and the book. ' _What's happening?!_ '

"What did you do?" There was a hint of fear in his voice.

She felt power build in her soul. The book seemed to be inputting its information into her brain. 'Imagine the weapon buried within your soul.' She did as the book told her and her arm transformed into a scythe blade.

"What the hell?" she whispered, still having difficulty breathing. The blade had the jagged painted design similar to Soul's but colored with silver and green.

"How the hell did you do that?" The fear in the demon's voice was clear now.

Maka let her courage run through her veins, strengthening her. ' _Less talking or I'll lose my breath too soon.'_ She developed a quick attack plan, acting before finishing it. She was able to slice through the demon several times with spin attacks before she had to stop.

"My turn…" he teased. As he pounded his fists together, the room began to spin.

"Huh…?" she managed to mutter before falling to the ground. She had tried to breathe too harshly and needed more oxygen than she was getting. The demon was above her, looking down.

"You're making it too easy!" As he was bringing down the madness around them, Maka fought.

"You. Will. Not. Win!" There was a flash of blue that cleared the darkness. "I will not be defeated!"

Maka suddenly found herself in the battle against Asura. The kishin had been defeated, but the magic barrier he had made was still solid. Maka tried to look around but found she had no control of her body.

She had been forced to watch this, or something similar, every night since the battle. Soul was across from her, and suddenly she felt her body moving. It was like she was watching herself in slow motion, the corners of her mouth stretched in a crazed smile. She felt her gloved hands being placed around Soul's neck, slowly squeezing the air out of him. He tried to fight her off, but he eventually became limp.

The twisted thing controlling her body continued to choke the lifeless body that was her weapon. She watched in horror as her fingers forced his eyelids open, the red irises staring blankly back. When she regained control, she fell to her knees.

Maka cradled her partner, sobbing into his chest. "Please! No! SOUL!"

"Maka! What's wrong?"

The tears were real and stung her eyes. Or maybe it was the bright light streaming in. But Maka remained silent, afraid that if she said it aloud it would come true somehow. She quickly tried to wipe her eyes dry and appear okay, though she knew Soul had already seen. "Nothing's wrong. Wait, where am I? What happened?"

She saw Soul's eyes twitch, but he dropped the matter. He told Maka of the events from when they had started the mission, all the way to the drive up to the DWMA. "All that happened? We really encountered the Sky witch? I thought that had all been a dream..." Maka looked out the window at the sun laughing down at her. She remembered the mission but felt that had been an eternity ago. "Wait, how long have I been here?" Maka turned towards Soul and asked frantically. ' _Weeks, months?_ ' she thought fearfully.

"This all happened last night. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I can't miss class baka!"

Soul rolled his eyes.

Naigus made sure that no other visitors, including Death the Kid, were let in. Even though he was the son of Lord Death, Maka needed to heal quickly. As soon as she saw his black hair with three horizontal stripes, she reiterated what she had said to multiple students. Spirit had tried a few times, but neither stress or anger was a remedy. "If we want Maka back sooner, she needs the most rest she can get. Come back in a week."

"Fine," Kid muttered, his gold eyes passive. "I guess this gives us more time to research Sukai in depth. Maybe father will be able to answer a few questions on this matter…" ' _Though I doubt he will directly,'_ Kid thought to himself.

Liz Thompson considered her meister for a moment. "Do you really think he'll help us?"

"One of our top meisters-"

"-and close friend-" Liz cut in.

"Yes, was attacked. If he expects us to not investigate then he has another thing-"

All of a sudden, the two heard a stomach growl and pivoted to face Patti Thompson, Liz's younger sister. "I'm starving!" Patti whined.

"Yeah Kid, can we grab a quick bite to eat first?" Liz didn't want to return to the library just yet. And a hungry Patti was a cranky, hard to deal with Patti.

"Fine," Kid, once again, muttered distastefully. They started to walk through the halls of the school. Passing by fellow students, the trio was used to the blatant staring. Being Lord Death's son had that effect on people. They walked by their year's classroom (Crescent Moon), the mission board, and even the dojo.

Walking the maze-like corridors, the three bumped into a friend, Black Star. Or rather, Black Star ran into Patti. His blue spiked hair was now even more disheveled looking and his mouth turned to a scowl. His green eyes flashed at the obstacle he was facing now.

"Hey!" Patti's short blonde hair was now covering her blue eyes because the hat had been knocked off of her head. "Watch where you're going!" Her tone was murderous.

Black Star's cocky attitude would not take the blame. "The awesome Black Star always watches where he's going! It was you who'd-"

"What's the rush Black Star?" Liz cut in. She knew Black Star was always in the 'now' but he typically didn't ram into friends.

"Just got a mission! Gotta go find Tsubaki!" he explained. And with that, the trio watched Black Star's blue spiky hair bounce away at lightning speed.

Liz followed the fading silhouette of their energizer bunny friend. "Wait, I thought after Maka and Soul's latest mission and what happened that Black Star and we weren't allowed to go on missions?"

"Yes," Kid said in thought. ' _But the only way he'd get a mission would be that Father gave it to Black Star directly (with an alternative purpose) or Black Star took it. Either is likely…'_

"Whatever… Patti's going to throw a fit if we don't hurry up. C'mon Kid."

"Sure," Kid led the way deep in thought about this new turn of events.

"Kinda reminds me of when Soul first got hurt by Crona. I wonder how they deal with that black blood/madness thingy. That'd be so scary to deal with! I can't imagine if that happened to us! Of course, the two-pair thing was the solution for the whole school instead of just our team, but still similar. Just think though, always having a little devil on your shoulder, kinda like a craving or your OCD. I guess you already sorta understand..." Liz was just talking for the sake of talking now, but Kid caught something in the meaningless babble.

"Yes, similar… You guys go ahead. I'll meet you at the library." With the rushed words, Kid ran off in the direction they came.

"What came over him?" Liz furrowed her brow at her meister, making to follow.

The growling from Patti's stomach started again. "Sis! I'm starving! Let's go!" she whined.

"Okay okay, we're going…" Patti always came first for Liz, and Kid would have to wait. Besides, they were used to Kid's secretive detective work. There would always be another case.

"I guess he'll meet me in the next class…" Tsubaki slowly gathered her books and entered the throng of students making their way through the halls.

Tsubaki was making her way to her next class when Black Star found her. Her long black hair tied into a high ponytail was unmistakable from a distance. Her brown eyes found and connected with his green eyes as she waited for him.

"TSUBAKI! I GOT A MISSION! LET'S GO!" he bellowed down the hall anyway, as if she needed a reason to wait.

Tsubaki looked at him with utter confusion. She walked over to him since yelling was not something she liked to do often. "But we aren't supposed to leave Death City until further notice" her soft voice stated. "What did you do?" she asked accusingly. It was just like Black Star to steal a mission when he was restless.

"Professor Stein specially gave this to me, knowing that my awesome strength is what he needed." Black Star flexed his muscles as he said this.

"Well, what's the mission then?" Tsubaki wasn't going to argue with Black Star; if Stein did give him the mission, it needed to be completed. And Black Star had never lied to Tsubaki before.

"He told me to meet him at the infirmary after school. But I, the amazing Black Star, wanted to train some more before our first mission in over a week." As he said this he proceeded to stretch, almost backhanding a passing student in the process.

"Black Star, you trained for eight hours yesterday… I think you can give it a little break…" Tsubaki was tired of his restless training and wanted to focus on a little school work for a change. "Let's just get through today's classes, okay?"

"Tsubaki! Hurry up! A guy like me who's going to surpass the gods can't wait around much longer!" Black Star had been constantly talking about the new unknown mission throughout their last class.

"I'm coming!" Tsubaki quickly gathered her things and left the classroom.

They reached the infirmary on the other side of the school within five minutes of the last bell ringing.

"The amazing Black Star is here! Who do I need to assassinate this time?" The energy emanating from Black Star was overpowering.

"Actually Black Star, you're here to assist me in an experiment." The smoke from Stein's cigarette drifted through the air. "We need to see if we can activate any madness in Maka while she's conscious." Stein remained passive as he took another drag from the death stick perched in between his fingers.

"Wait, what? That would mean attacking her, correct?" Tsubaki was not going to willingly harm her friend, no matter the reason.

"Attack Maks? I think I'm too strong for that job. Go get Kid or someone weaker."

"No Black Star, we need your strength to provoke what could be there. And we need to do this quickly. I regret telling you to come later, but she's awake now. I suggest you use your soul as your weapon. Sorry Tsubaki, I should have told him when I first gave him the mission." Stein took several more drags from his cigarette. "Let's do this...we'll have to act quickly, so no hesitation."

"What could be there, professor?" Tsubaki considered the man before her, contemplated the lengths he would go to test a theory.

"I don't have time to explain. It's now or never Black Star, either you do it or I do."

Black Star considered his position. Yeah, he and Maka fought from time to time, but siblings always had squabbles and she was like a younger sister to him. ' _But this'll help her, won't it?'_

"Fine..." Black Star followed Stein into the infirmary. The walls were cream colored, like most of the walls in DWMA. There were two beds for patients and curtains that could give them privacy against the far wall. Against the wall to the left of the door were a desk and swivel chair. Against the wall that the door was apart of there was a cabinet full of medicine and remedies. There were some potted plants sprinkled around the small room.

They had heard Maka lecturing Soul through the door about something. She was on the bed closest to the window, the sun shining on her dirty blonde hair, not in her usual pigtails. Soul was sitting in a chair in the corner next to Maka, his white hair pulled back by a headband as usual.

"What're you doing here?" Maka's angry green eyes looked Black Star over, but there was joy behind them, thinking her friend had come for a visit. Then her eyes flashed. "Don't try to sign my face again, I will Maka Chop you..." Before she could recognize the pain in his eyes, Black Star attacked.

Admittedly he did hold back. He just couldn't use his full wavelength against her while Maka was in this state. Time slowed as Soul registered what was happening in front of him. Black Star grazed Maka's solar plexus, but it was enough to make her bounce against the mattress.

"What the hell Black Star!?" Soul jumped over Maka, his arm a scythe. His instincts had taken over and his weapon form was showing through. "What's gotten into you!? She just woke up! She didn't remember a damn thing and you attack her?!" Soul placed himself between the bed and Black Star, fire blazing in his eyes.

But Black Star looked past Soul at Maka. Her eyes went blank, her face slack, and scythe blades started to form. The blades had Soul's jagged design in gray and green.

Confusion appeared on everyone's faces except Stein. "So I was right. She has weapon blood inside her. It must be a defense mechanism, though why she hasn't used it before, is a mystery."

Maka looked ready to strike, but she didn't move. It was as if she was waiting for another attack. ' _Must be her morals coming through..._ ' Stein thought.

After a few minutes, Black Star spoke. "How the hell do we get her out of it?"

At that moment, the scythes disappeared and Maka went limp. The group sat in silence. The young meister and weapons were baffled at what they had just witnessed. Then Stein cut through. "Soul, you said she doesn't remember the events of last night?"

Soul broke out of his trance. "Well not exactly... Maka had thought it was all a dream at first, but she remembered as I told her. It didn't take much for her memories to come back..." Soul commented ruefully. He recalled the argument they were having when Black Star had burst in, one of many that happened after he would protect her in his human form during a fight.

"Hmm…" Stein sat in his stitched up office chair. He held his cigarette in his right hand, contemplating his thoughts. The smoke from it curled in the air around them.


	4. Chapter 4

The sun was setting and throwing its last rays through the high windows. Only the most studious students were now sitting in the darkening library. Every couple of moments the sound of a page turning or a pencil scratching at paper echoed through the room.

Kid had been sitting in the library for hours, searching for anything to do with his suspicions. The floor was white and clear of debris, except for the area immediately around Kid's table. It was covered with book after book on heritage, genes regarding meisters, and how madness affects different people. The thing he had been looking for (unknowingly) was in an excerpt on children of weapons and meisters:

"Children of a weapon and meister pair may or may not present weapon abilities. As with any bloodline of weapons, it is not guaranteed that all of their children will be weapons. Mating with another weapon does not seem to have an affect on the outcome either. There may be a recessive quality to the ability. But children of weapons still have that weapon blood inside them. This is how the bloodline continues. Special children of weapons, typically the meisters who can use soul perception, can awaken the weapon inside them in certain situations. These children are rare, so little research has been able to be done on them. So far, different influences have been determined as a traumatic event, an overwhelming amount of madness surrounding them (or their soul), or some kind of push from an outside force."

' _Maka must be one of those meisters. It would make sense… But with this, the attack also makes some sense. Maybe Sukai wanted Maka to activate the weapon blood. But how did she know that Maka had it? And why does she want her to activate it?'_ Kid continued reading.

"Any of these can make it seem like the meister is in a coma or asleep, if just for a short amount of time. During this period, some subjects have recalled being in a special part of their soul that they had not been to before. The places described varied from person to person. There they recalled learning how to awaken the blood, but found keeping the form much more difficult while conscious. Not all meisters could recall the ability afterward, or even being so far in their soul."

"This ability is unique and highly targeted. Many of the few meisters known to use their weapon blood have been assassinated for having this ability."

' _Does Father know of this? I guess I'll never know until I ask, unless he keeps his mouth shut..._ ' Kid checked the book out of the library and headed to the death room: Lord Death's office.

He walked down the pathway which was lined with guillotines as archways and led to the middle of the room. "Did you know of this Father?" Kid burst in on him. The room didn't seem like a room; there was a whole desert and sky. It was in a parallel universe, a magic set up a long time ago. In the middle stood a stage of sorts. Lord Death was facing his mirror.

Lord Death turned away from his mirror towards Kid. "Ahh, Kid. Long time no see! How are y-?"

"Father, did you know about Maka and her weapon blood?" Kid was not going to beat around the bush. He had enough of secrets and vague answers. "I found an excerpt from this book that seems to match with Maka's situation as well as her current symptoms…" He held up the book as he said this.

"Ahh, yes. Stein read the same book this morning. He told me and asked permission to test the theory-"

"But you wouldn't have authority over that, would you?! That would require attacking her in some way, correct?!" Kid was amazed that his Father would do such a thing: put a top meister, and one of Kid's friends, in that kind of danger.

"Stein asked for my permission." Kid saw Spirit walk out from behind Lord Death. "I am her father, so he came to me." His shoulders were hunched over, hands in pockets. He kept his head low and eyes focused on anything but Kid.

"Why the hell would you do that?" Kid didn't see the logic of putting your own daughter in danger. "Does that mean he already attacked her?"

"Because. I wanted to know for sure if Maka would be a target. If she really needed extra protection. I think she would want to know for a fact as well." His red hair hung in front of his light blue eyes, the shame of defeat evident.

"Yes Kid, Stein asked Black Star to help him and went right after classes ended." Lord Death informed him.

Kid became quiet then, turning the new information over in his mind. ' _He risked her health to keep her safe. How do you cope with that?'_

The first thing Maka saw was the setting sun through the window. The clouds were flitting across the blood orange sky. She slowly turned her head towards the foot of her bed and saw Tsubaki staring at the door. Her hair was tied in its normal way; a high and long pony tail. Maka realized that she hadn't seen Tsubaki in months. ' _Why was that again?_ '

Black Star and Tsubaki had gone to Japan, Tsubaki's home, to better understand the enchanted sword. Had it only been a fortnight since their return? Death the Kid and his twin pistols had been clearing up some of the mess left behind by the madness. But those were missions being given to everyone. Maka and Soul had been ordered to take leave from missions; apparently Death Scythe (Spirit) had that authority and believed Maka needed a break. It seemed that Crona had been the only person that hung out with her nowadays, now that she thought about it. And even they had only visited once or twice. Soul had mainly went to the record shop or went to the basketball courts, leaving her at the apartment.

Maka's train of thought was broken by the hushed voices she heard. It took her a few seconds to realize that it was her friends around her speaking. They must not have realized that she was awake again, and she decided to listen in.

"Tsubaki, don't worry, Maka will recover quickly. I, the great Black Star, will speed her healing with just my presence!"

"Idiot, you were the one who attacked her!" Maka recognized Soul's voice coming from the corner by her foot. He must not have moved. Wait, Black Star had attacked her?

"Soul," Tsubaki's soft voice filled the room, "he didn't have a choice. Professor Stein told him that it would benefit her in the end and he made a quick decision."

All of a sudden they could hear Stein's wheels coming down the hall. "Umph!" He crashed through the doorway with a thud. He slid to a stop at the foot of Maka's bed, his glasses askew. "Is Maka awake yet?"

"I am now" Maka growled, her lips resisting movement in fear that she might scream at both the professor and Black Star. Her fingers were already itching for a book.

Still sitting in his chair, Stein opened up a book. He read the passage on children of weapon and meister partners. As he read, Maka positioned herself better in the bed and rubbed the sleep away from her eyes.

As he finished reading the information aloud, Kid walked into the dispensary with Liz and Patti in tow. The team was all together now, like a messed up reunion.

Maka's mind was racing now. ' _I mean it does make sense, I guess. That must be what that book was about..._ ' She thought back to her battle with her new inner demon. "So what does this mean? Do I have to train as a weapon now?" Her voice was even and controlled, but her heart was pounding against her ribcage. ' _Would I have to leave Soul and start all over?'_

"I think you might've misheard the professor." Kid stepped closer to her bed. "This is not something that comes naturally to you. To maintain your weapon form it takes a lot more concentration compared to a regular weapon."

"Kid's correct, your mother's genetics are stronger than your father's in this case. It's why your soul perception is naturally stronger than other meisters."

"Is that why the scythes disappeared so quickly?" Tsubaki's eyes roamed over Maka's arms, recalling the monochromatic blades from earlier.

"The best thing to do is get rest, Maka. Lord Death will tell you what to do soon enough." Stein stood up and righted his chair. "Just relax while you can. And I would start by lying down…" With that the professor rolled out of the dispensary.

' _How can I relax? A witch attacks me, putting… something inside me, I find out I can turn into a weapon, and Black Star tops it all with attacking me with his wavelength…_ ' Maka thought. She grimaced as she tried to reposition herself. Soul stood and came over to aide her. "I can do this" she muttered loud enough that he took a step back. It was obvious that she needed help, and eventually, after struggling for some time, she let Soul assist her. She hated appearing weak in front of her friends, needing them to help her all the time.

The air was thick with thought. Even Patti seemed to be thinking about the matter at hand, even if it was for only a few seconds. Everyone was concerned for their dear friend.

Maka had a determined look on her face and seemed the deepest in thought. As she figured out what to do next, she watched the sun's dragging face resist sleep for as long as he could. "Is there anything we can do for you Maka?" Tsubaki asked after some time. Tsubaki searched Maka's face for any hint at what she was thinking.

"Maka?" Liz asked, which seemed to break her trance. Maka looked over at Liz with questioning eyes at the door. "Did you hear Tsubaki? Is there anything we can do?"

Maka had heard both girls but was still trying to decide what action to take. She squinted out the window once more. "Um, I don't really think so…" Soul told the gang for Maka.

"Then we should probably get going," Kid said. "Black Star and Tsubaki, maybe we should all leave so Maka can rest."

Maka's head whipped back towards her friends. "Err, actually I think there is one thing you could do if you don't mind."


	5. Chapter 5

As Black Star hauled the many books back to the dispensary, he scowled. "Why the hell does Maka want these stupid books? I thought she was supposed to be resting."

"It seems by the titles she asked for that she's researching the Sky Witch further, though there isn't much on her to begin with…" Kid remarked. "I tried researching the witch myself and came up short."

"Then how are there this many books I'm carrying?" He gestured to the stack in his arms. "And how come I'm the only one carrying these things huh?" Black Star went on.

"You are the strongest, right?" Soul returned smoothly. He and Kid continued to stroll down the hall back to the dispensary behind Black Star lugging the books. "Now will you hurry up? I want to get at least an hour of sleep…"

The moonlight played across the windows and tiles of the hall. The candlelight provided just enough additional luster for the trio to not trip over themselves. The search for the books Maka requested had taken a good hour or two. And when they had left the dispensary the moon had begun its ascent into the sky. Now it was a quarter through its journey.

As they continued down the hall, the eerie silence of the school pressed in on them. When they reached the dispensary Maka had dozed off and the girls were patiently waiting for the boys. Well, at least Tsubaki was.

"What took you guys so long?" Liz whined. "It's getting really creepy here…"

"Well if Maka didn't want so many books we would've been faster" Black Star yelled, his natural volume.

"I thought you were the strongest Black Star," Maka said drowsily. "Or are you getting weak on us?"

The blue-haired assassin scoffed. "Of course not! I will surpass God!"

"I guess we should get going. See you guys tomorrow," Kid said. As he strolled out of the room Patti ran ahead pretending to be an airplane and Liz cowered behind him. Liz's voice could be heard complaining about creepy crawlies in the shadows.

"We should get home too, Black Star," Tsubaki said softly. "We need to eat dinner." She gathered her things and looked to him.

"See you tomorrow man." Black Star high-fived Soul in farewell.

It was well into the night when everyone had left Soul and Maka in the dispensary. "Can you hand me one of the books Soul?" Maka wanted to begin as soon as possible, and this was no better time in her opinion.

"Oh, come on Maka, get more rest first! Do you really need to get sucked into the books tonight?" Soul complained.

"Why does it matter?" Soul gave her a look. "Oh, just a chapter? Please?" Maka's eyes pleaded with Soul's but he held steady. "Don't you need to get going anyway?"

"You're crazy if you think I'm leaving you here alone."

She looked him up and down. "I'm not the only one who needs rest, and that chair doesn't look that comfy."

"Too bad. I'm staying, and there's nothing you can say that'll send me away." As if on cue, two low grumblings sounded from the pair's stomachs.

Maka narrowed her eyes, daring him to refuse himself food. The staredown lasted a good five minutes before his stomach growled more loudly. A groan escaped his lips.

"Fine. Obviously, we both need food. You can read one-" Soul held up his index finger for emphasis, "-chapter while I'm gone. Just one."

"Yes, Soul. So may you hand me one now?" She was more polite in her asking, tilting her head like a puppy would for a treat.

As Soul left, he glanced behind him only to see Maka submerged in her reading, already oblivious to her surroundings. "Figures…" Soul chuckled.

By the time Soul had returned, with half-decent food a half an hour later, Maka had already finished half of the 300-page book he had handed her. Obviously, more than a chapter had been read, but Soul couldn't get mad since he would've needed to wake her to eat anyway. He let it slide.

"I just got a couple of burgers for us." He placed the bag of food on her side table, but she didn't look up. "Come on Maka, you need to eat. Put the book down."

Reluctantly, Maka obliged. She set the book beside her. They ate in silence, their chewing the only noise in the dispensary. There wasn't much to discuss but the air wasn't awkward. It was comfortable even with everything that was going on.

Once they finished, Maka immediately went to grab for her book again to pick up where she had left off. But Soul had anticipated this and snatched the book just before her fingertips could touch the cover.

Before Maka could protest, Soul gave her a look and said "Professor Stein said you need rest. Reading can wait." And before she could say "but" Soul grabbed the sheets and tucked her in. "No buts. We both need sleep."

Soul then walked over to the light switch and flicked it down. As soon as he clamored into his chair they were both fast asleep, exhaustion taking over.

"So since I beat your sorry butt last time, you're going to haunt my dreams?" The demon had gone back to his original size, content with sitting on one of the stacks of books. Maka now understood a fraction of Kid's compulsion: she desperately wanted to organize the collection of books.

"Have you ever asked Soul about his mental experience with me?" His voice was light, almost a matter-of-fact tone to it, but Maka knew better. "It's not a single encounter. I'm apart of you now."

True, she had never asked Soul outright. But she didn't need to. Even though he never told her about his nightmares and visions in the beginning, and still struggled to confide in her to this day, she could sense when his soul was wavering. When he was fighting for control. Yes, Soul had accepted the madness within him, but that didn't stop it from trying to take over. She could sense when he had had a rough night with it.

"You're going to have to embrace me. Like your books. There's some you love and some you hate, but you still read."

Maka crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't see the connection. At least I can stop reading a story I don't like. You make poor comparisons for your arguments."

The demon rolled his head and Maka could hear his neck cracking. "True, but that doesn't change your situation, now does it. Besides, we both know what I could help you accomplish." The lights in the library seemed to dim, a long shadow from his perch thrown across the floor.

She could hear Stein's voice, like static over a radio. ' _So far, different influences have been determined as a traumatic event, an overwhelming amount of madness surrounding them (or their soul), or some kind of push from an outside force.'_

Maka moved her hands to her waist, her eyes narrowed at the red ogre. "The weapon blood. If I'm to use it consciously I'll need your help. Is that what you're saying?"

His red interlocked as he stretched his hands outward. After a few pops from his joints, he made a finger gun, pointing it at Maka. "Bingo." He then shrugged. "You don't have to decide tonight, just think about it."

The room faded into pitch black darkness.

Maka woke up with a start. The sky was blocked off, hidden from view. The scent of ash and smoke filled her lungs. She could feel the madness teeming in the air around her.

Soul lay in front of her, seemingly asleep, but she knew the truth. She had failed him and he was now lost to the madness. Kid and Black Star were still keeping the Kishin at bay, but all was lost now. Maka had lost Soul.

She couldn't fight now; she couldn't move at all. Eventually, Kid and Black Star were defeated. They had been counting on Maka and Soul, but she had failed everyone.

As she was slumped over Soul, motionless the entire time, Asura began to advance on her. With his fabric arms, he took hold of her by her throat. Slowly, he raised her into the air to watch her writhe in suffocation.

As a reflex, she clawed at her throat to try and pry the noose away. But she was losing oxygen fast. She kicked her legs out, attempting what, she wasn't exactly sure. Flailing about seemed like a good enough plan.

Instead of blacking out though, Maka was face to face with Soul. They were back in the dispensary. It must have been early morning; the sun wasn't up yet, the sky transitioning to dawn. "Have you been having these dreams since the Battle?" Maka couldn't see his face, but his breath was hot on her cheek. Beads of sweat had collected on her forehead and threatened to slide down her face.

Maka's voice was thick and dry. "What time is it?"

Soul ignored her question in turn. "I know you've been in pain since the battle, barely getting any sleep. Is this why?" His tone was not accusatory, far from it. She could feel his soul vibrate with worry, an open book.

Maka remained silent. This particular dream had occurred on several occasions before; the most frequent vision. The fear she experienced that day was more than she could admit. She didn't want to dump her insecurities on her partner, he had enough to worry about. Besides, she needed to get stronger and work past those.

Soul's eyes bore into her own, and she realized he knew exactly what she was thinking. "We're supposed to grow together, remember?"

"I-I'm sorry Soul. I don't know, I didn't-didn't want to weigh you down." Maka started to rub her hands together, staring into her lap as she did so. Her eyes began to itch with salt water, and she blinked faster and faster. "It-It's hard to talk about them. I thought I had it under control."

"Idiot. That's what partners are for." When she looked up into his face once again, the tears splashed onto her lap. Soul held his strong, brave, and stupid meister as she wept openly for the first time in months.


	6. Chapter 6

After a few days spent in the dispensary, Maka was allowed to go home.

Maka thought back to that morning when she had spoken to Lord Death. "I want you to rest up at home for a bit still Maka-chan! Once you're back to full health we can sort everything out!"

The sun shed its rays across the stairs as Soul and Maka descended into Death City. They were slow going on account for Maka's injuries not being fully healed, but Soul didn't mind. The gunshot in her shoulder had been a clean through and through, but it still throbbed, making movement harder.

 _I can use this time to research the situation more in depth…_ Stein had been dodging her questions since the experiment, which was incredibly annoying. Either he didn't want to admit he didn't know, or he didn't want her to do anything too rash before her injuries were completely healed.

Maka inhaled the fresh air deeply, appreciating the open breeze. Every time she had to stay in the dispensary, she missed the wind playing on her skin. Soul watched her carefully, hesitating to show his amusement in fear of a Maka Chop. The shadows were still short and stubby on the pathways. Light wouldn't be fading soon. The heat of the desert was tolerable today, not too dry, not too humid, the perfect balance in between.

"But before that, I'll need to study for the classes I've missed…" Maka finished her original thought aloud to herself.

"Aw come on Maka, you're excused from classes! Just take a break and chill for once! You're not going to be fully healthy if you continue to push yourself so much," Soul insisted. He deduced that the thing that she decided to temporarily put off was researching the Sky Witch. "The teachers have excused you from any homework and the DWMA is already gathering as much as they can on that stupid witch. There isn't much else that you need to do!"

"As I said before, I am not falling behind in any of my courses. And I want to conduct my own line of research." She scoffed, tried to stalk off, but tripped over her own feet, forcing her to slow down again.

Soul smirked. "You won't fall behind. You know all of the material already, or was that summer course a waste? And why not leave the researching to the people who know it best?"

Maka rolled her eyes. "Reviewing is always a good thing to do." She stopped in front of a small storefront and her eyes became downcast in thought and determination. They stood there in silence. Finally, Maka finished her statement. Her tone had turned serious. "This witch targeted us. I want to know why..."

Soul clenched his jaw and pressed his lips at this. "Maka, look at me." Her eyes continued to stare at her feet as if there was a riddle on the sidewalk. "Maka, come on." As she continued to refuse to raise her eyes Soul pulled her chin so her face was tilted upward. Eventually, after several minutes, she returned his gaze sheepishly. "You know, for the most part, why we were targeted. What's the real reason?"

Maka's mouth twitched but then her eyes went blank, pupils small as if she were focused on something in the distance. Soul recognized the expression as her Soul Perception ability kicking in. She stepped backward, clenched her fist and jaw, and furrowed her brow.

"What is it? Do you sense something?" Soul asked dumbly. The mix of emotions she displayed confused Soul. He really could only take one emotion at a time.

Again, Maka was about to speak when a snake slithered up. "What the hell?" The snake was black with a yellow stripe twisting around its body ending in an arrow on its head.

"Medusa" Maka growled. She recognized the witch's wavelength immediately, though why she had Soul Protect off Maka couldn't guess. Maka squared her shoulders, preparing for a fight. Her anger at this woman came flooding back. "How the hell are you still alive!?" She started to rush the snake when Soul blocked her and held her back.

"You'll just make your injuries worse. Seriously, do you ever learn?" Soul was turned around, facing the snake witch. They didn't know what to expect.

All the snake did was flick her tongue at them. "Well, that was unimpressive…" Soul commented. But Maka had a different impression.

" _You think you've won, but snakes always find a way to slither back..."_ Maka felt a shiver run down her back. It sounded like this despicable woman was whispering in her ear.

Maka couldn't let her escape, Medusa would only wreak more havoc if she wasn't stopped now. "She's at her weakest. If we don't kill her now she'll regenerate her magic again" Maka argued in Soul's ear.

Soul ran his fingers through his hair and turned to face his meister, preparing to turn into a scythe. ' _She has a point… guess this won't take too long..._ '

But just as she had appeared, the snake vanished without a trace. "Dammit! How the hell did she slip away!?" Maka growled, her anger threatening to boil over.

"She really doesn't know how to stay down, does she? I thought we killed her with genie hunter…"

"Obviously not." Maka quickly turned on Soul. "Why did you stop me?! We could've stopped her!" She was pacing, her hands balled into fists.

"We don't know what she was planning, and you literally just left the dispensary. You're in no condition to fight, and you know it." The annoyance in Soul's voice was evident, but not as much as Maka's anger.

Of course, she couldn't argue with his logic. She knew perfectly well that the hole in her shoulder was enough to put her on medical leave, let alone the stupid spell Sukai had put on her. The Sky Witch. That's who she was angry at. The bitch had finished her with a flick of her fingers.

Maka had a sudden urge to punch something. Anything. Even though her shoulder was in no condition. Even though this would not help her situation in the slightest. She needed to physically release her frustration. That's why she stormed over to a wall and cracked the brickwork.

"Maka, doing that won't change anything! You're going to injure yourself!"

But Maka didn't care. In her fury she continued to punch the wall, leaving bloody impressions in the brick. The pain of the previous months, her current situation, running into Medusa, all of it fueled her rage.

A hand larger than hers was encompassing her fist, holding her back easily. It was tan and muscular, belonging to one of her closest and most annoying friends.

"C'mon Maks, you just left the dispensary. A god like me can't keep speeding up your recovery if you don't take care of yourself!" Black Star's goofy face loomed into view beside Maka.

She felt a soft hand on her left shoulder. Tsubaki regarded Maka with sympathetic eyes. This caused Maka to fall to her knees, the burst of fury-fueled adrenaline fading. She was panting, not quite back to calm. Tsubaki lowered herself with Maka and kept her company while Soul and Black Star went to sit on the curb.

"Black Star and Tsubaki Nakatsukasa please report to the Death Room immediately."

As the intercom crackled off, Tsubaki wondered what Shinigami-sama needed. ' _Did Black Star break something again?_ ' An exasperated sigh escaped her lips.

"Tsubaki, let's go! I'm so important that they can't wait for my presence!" Black Star pointed to the ceiling of the gym, their classmates ignoring his outburst. At this point, it was white noise to them. "A god like me can't keep them waiting!"

"Of course, let's get going." The pair didn't bother changing out of their gym clothes and headed straight for their destination. The halls were barren, class being in session, but no one would've stood in their way anyway. Black Star's reputation guaranteed it. The laughing sun was still rising, not quite at its peak yet. The light spilled across the floor and illuminated the entire hall.

They reached Shinigami-sama's room quickly and entered. Spirit stood next to Lord Death's mirror while Stein was sitting at the edge of the platform taking a drag from his cigarette.

"Hiya, how ya doin'?" Shinigami-sama's voice resounded throughout the room through his mirror. "We have a special mission for you two today."

"OH IS IT SOMETHING ONLY A GOD LIKE ME CAN DO? LIKE TAKE OUT A REALLY BIG GANG?" Black Star shouted, making sure everyone would hear him loud and clear.

"Not quite Black Star," Stein interjected. His glasses gave a glare, hiding his eyes. "It's something closer to home."

The Deathscythe cleared his throat. "As you probably know, Maka is being permitted to go home, and we need you to keep an eye on her for us. To make sure she's safe. We don't want anything to happen to her, and even though she can take care of herself, we'd like to enforce some extra protection."

"And knowing how she would take it, we'd prefer the details stay in this room," Stein added.

Tsubaki shuffled in place. "There has to be a reason, Professor. May we know why?"

"This most recent attack confirms that Maka is now a target of witches, which isn't exactly surprising. Considering her soul perception ability, exorcism wavelength, and notoriety for defeating Asura, it's surprising it's taken this long. I guess we have Spirit's over-bearing tendencies to thank for that…" A growl came from the Deathscythe, but he did not speak up. "Once the fact that she can use her weapon blood, even if it's just the idea, gets out, we predict more attempts on her life."

"So babysit her? In secret?" Black Star mused. _Another damn decision, I, a god, have to make for the safety of my followers…_ Black Star glanced at Tsubaki, looking for some kind of guidance on how to proceed. He still felt uneasy about his last choice regarding Maka, considering he had attacked her. But this was different, _right?_

"Does Soul-kun know about this?" Tsubaki's eyes were still locked with Black Star's, but she spoke loud enough for the room to hear.

"We have not told him, and if you do not want to we can find someone else. This would take priority over any other missions and assignments until further notice."

Tsubaki returned his gaze, assurance in her eyes. _Whatever you decide, I will follow you._


	7. Chapter 7

Maka took several deep shuddering breaths. ' _Pull yourself together, goddammit.'_ She shook the remaining tension out of her arms and stood up. Tsubaki had walked over to the fountain after a while to give Maka space. The sun hadn't shifted too much, still creating long shadows. Maka's shoulder throbbed from the still-healing gunshot wound. ' _Please tell me I didn't reopen it, that's the last thing I need.'_ She ignored the pain and took several strides over to the fountain where the others sat, waiting. Soul yawned as Black Star told him about something.

"Would you guys like to go get something to eat with us?" Tsubaki inquired before anyone else could say anything. "We were on our way to find some food," she stated as she gestured to Black Star. And it wasn't necessarily a lie. Black Star had been vocal about the absence of food while following their friend.

"Soul, do we have any food at the apartment?" Food sounded good at the moment, a nice distraction from what had just happened. Maka didn't want to think about the dampness spreading from her shoulder.

"Considering we both haven't been there for at least a week, I'm guessing whatever's there isn't exactly- is that blood on your shoulder?" The scythe-boy jumped up to better see Maka's shoulder.

"That definitely looks like blood dude."

A groan escaped Maka's lips. Her stare stopped Soul from stating the obvious, settling for, "should we go back to the DWMA or home?"

"If I remember correctly, medical supplies were on the shopping list still…" Maka's eyes fell to the ground, recalling that it had been her turn to pick up the necessities.

Before Soul could make a snarky comment, Tsubaki jumped in. "Our apartment isn't too far from here and we have what you need, why don't we head there while we decide on dinner?"

So the group made their way to the apartment, Black Star giving Maka a hard time the entire way. He made it known that she shouldn't have gone boxing a brick wall so soon after being released from the dispensary, throughout the journey to the apartment, gathering of supplies, and bandaging of the wound. Surprisingly, she did not make her usual quips with him, silently agreeing about how stupid she had been. It certainly did not go unnoticed by the weapons.

"I mean seriously Maka, I get punching is the best thing in the world, but you're only human…"

"Okay Black Star, I think she gets the point. Did anyone come up with dinner ideas while the god of annoyance rambled?"

"We don't have much groceries either, but there's a great sushi restaurant around the corner." Tsubaki picked up a take-out menu from the coffee table. "And they have ramen for non-seafood fans." A small smile was flashed at Maka.

Once they got to the restaurant they were quickly seated. The meal was silent but comfortable. It had been months since the close friends, almost siblings, had had a meal together. Using her chopsticks proved rather difficult for Maka since her dominant arm was throbbing particularly hard. Luckily ramen was more of a soup and the others were more focused on their plates.

Maka didn't know why she continued to hide her pain, both physically and mentally. No one thought of her as weak anymore, especially after the Kishin. That had shut most people up. She knew she could trust and lean on her friends, especially Soul. He didn't mind. But something was holding her back- "So have you learned anything new about Sukai?" Tsubaki broke through the silence and Maka's train of thought.

"All of the books said basically the same thing. She wreaked havoc sometime ago, maybe a few centuries? None of them had the same dates. Then just disappeared. I haven't found anything conclusive." Maka huffed. "Yet she obviously knows about us…"

"I'm sure we'll find something on her Maka, just give it more time," Tsubaki said reassuringly.

"Yeah, and in the meantime, you don't have to worry. Your God will protect you!" Black Star added with a ridiculous grin.

"I hope so…"

After their meal, the group parted ways. Well, as far as Maka knew. Black Star had told Soul to keep him in the loop. _It's in her best interest I guess, but it doesn't feel right…_ The scythe meister and her partner decided to stop by the grocery store to restock their kitchen and medicine cabinet. They didn't quite finish because Soul noticed how drained Maka was and suggested getting only things they would need that night and the following morning. When they returned to the apartment, it was 7:30.

"Nya! You're finally home Maka-chan!" Blair pounced on the young girl, causing her to wince. She didn't make a noise, so it was hard to catch. But Soul noticed.

"Are you okay?" Soul asked, placing his hand on her uninjured shoulder. Blair transformed back into her human form and looked questioningly at Maka.

"Yea, just tired. Didn't quite turn my shoulder away is all."

"Oh! I'm so sorry Maka-chan! I forgot about your shoulder! Can I get you something to make it better?" The magical cat's ears twitched with sympathy.

"No, it's alright. I'm fine." She turned away and started toward her room.

Soul let her retreat for now. _I'll check in with her later._ He proceeded to put away the groceries, with Blair weaving in and out between his legs.

"Is Maka-chan really alright Soul?" The cat stretched on the kitchen floor, her tail curling with the movement.

"If she says so, I guess. It's stuffy in here, could you open a window?" But that's not how he really felt. Something was up and Maka wasn't talking. He was hoping it wouldn't come to him interrogating her, but she was a stubborn one.

Soon they found themselves in front of the TV, Soul flipping through channels. Various scenes from movies and shows flashed across the screen. A couple kissing, a safari scene focused on lions, cops arresting a suspect. Water could be heard a few minutes later from the shower.

"How was your shower?" Soul asked once Maka made her way to the living room after dressing.

"It was, refreshing actually. What'cha watching?"

"Nothing really, just flipping channels."

Since Blair was still in the room, Soul didn't want to bring up what was on his mind quite yet. Maka would probably ignore him if he brought up her silence in front of their roommate. So instead they sat in silence, Maka trying to stay awake and Soul figuring out how he wanted to approach the subject when the time came.

Soon Soul settled on an old black and white film, some western. Maka made no comment, staring off into space. Her head kept dropping onto her chest, only to rise up suddenly. As time passed, her eyes began to droop. It wasn't long until Maka was fast asleep.

The darkness was suffocating. Or maybe there was a weight on her chest, she couldn't tell. But it was incredibly hard to breathe, like the night she was attacked by the Sky Witch. Her limbs felt heavy from lack of oxygen. She almost didn't get up.

Maka pried her eyes open. She didn't recognize her surroundings, somewhere in a desert landscape. A single cactus could be seen in the distance, but otherwise, she was in a sea of sand.

All of her friends, Tsubaki, Kid, Patti, were splayed across the ground, motionless. "Tsu-Tsubaki? K-Kid? P-Patti?" Her voice was barely audible, cracking at every syllable. Black Star, Liz, even Crona, were in front of her. "G-guys, this isn't f-funny." They were seemingly asleep, but with her Soul Perception, Maka knew better. Her heart ached like a knife had gone through her and was now stuck.

But the person to her right took the little breath she had away. The weapon was on his stomach, hands at his sides. Cuts and bruises were showing through the tears in his leather jacket. He lay with his eyes staring blankly back at her. Maka fell to her knees next to Soul, reaching for his hand. Her eyes overflowed with tears. The knife in her heart had been pulled free, releasing the floodgates of emotion. She tried to scream, cry out, make any noise, but she didn't have any air left in her.

Blair had finally left the room and Soul was about to ask his partner what was up when he glanced at Maka. When he saw she was asleep, he snorted. _That didn't take her long…_ He would have to wait until the morning to breach the subject. The air seemed thicker and his limbs became heavier with every breath. Soul didn't even notice he was drifting into sleep.

When he opened his eyes he was staring out onto the desert, his friends face down around him. Black Star was the closest to him, only a few meters away. Soul could see several wounds, but couldn't tell if his best friend was breathing. Liz was past Black Star, but from where he was, Soul wasn't able to get a good look at her condition.

 _Maka, where's Maka?_

And there she was, on her knees, her hand clutching his, barely breathing. Soul tried to say her name, but he didn't have the air in him to do so.

Soul was jolted awake when Maka cried out. He was disoriented, the dream so life-like, that it took him a few seconds to realize he was on the couch in their apartment. He fell onto the floor in his haste to comfort Maka, and since they were entangled in the same blanket, Maka followed suit. A moan came from the pile of cloth. "Why am I on the floor?" came a muffled voice.

Soul removed himself from the blankets and detangled Maka from them. He caught Maka's gaze. "You screamed in your sleep, jolting me awake. Care to share why?"

The dream came flooding back to her in one solid wave. But this time Maka held back the tears and emotions. _It was just a dream, stop being a baby!_ a voice in the back of her head reminded her. She jerked her head away from Soul. _But that's it. Why shouldn't I tell Soul?_ Her face softened as she considered the thought. _Because I need to face my fears, even if they're in my head._ "It was a nightmare, that's all."


	8. Chapter 8

"That was a great meal!" One of Black Star's rare compliments filled the room. After following Maka and Soul to their apartment and leaving them there, Black Star had still been hungry. He didn't have to complain long before Tsubaki offered to make him another meal with the remaining food in their pantry.

The remark was left hanging in the air as Tsubaki was lost in thought, worry for her friend dripping from her. _I wonder how long she's been hurting without telling anyone. Maybe I should have called while we were in Japan…_

"Yo, Tsubaki? You all right?" She was pulled from her thoughts as Black Star spoke louder.

"I was just thinking about Maka is all. Let me clean this up." A breeze from the open windows played with her hair, her bangs swaying slightly.

Black Star helped her clean and put away the dishes, worry also creeping in on him. He would never voice it though. _Maka seems different since the Kishin… Obviously she just needs to train harder. That'll fix it._

The pair weren't ready for bed yet so they decided to figure out the coming week's workout routines. Tsubaki wrote as Black Star listed off all of the workouts he wanted when. "Maybe we can invite Maka and Soul for the ones after class, since we have our mission still?"

"And have her hold us back?" His heart wasn't in the statement, and it didn't go unnoticed. He growled. "Why did we agree to babysit her again?"

Tsubaki considered him for a moment, unsure if it was a rhetorical question. "Because our friend needs our help, even if she won't acknowledge it."

Black Star scoffed. "This is Maka we're talking about. She isn't anywhere near my level, but she's strong. One time I watched her beat up some bully just for taking this girl's teddy bear. He had to get his nose reset."

Tsubaki turned back to the schedule. "Just because you're strong doesn't mean you don't hurt."

Black Star didn't remember closing his eyes. One moment he was reviewing the workout plan for the week, the next he found himself surrounded by impenetrable darkness. After a few moments he realized that it was suffocating him, making breathing extremely difficult. _What the hell? A little darkness can't choke me._

"Your own path has been resembling the path of the demon recently," a voice rang out. The outline of a stag could be made out.

"No it hasn't, I've been doing my own thing! I am the great Black Star and don't resemble anyone!" Just to reassure himself, Black Star assessed his actions from the past couple months. After the Kishin, he focused on accepting the fallen warriors of the enchanted sword. Tsubaki had even taken him to Japan to meet her family and to understand her origins more. The other presence had accepted him, it had said so itself. So what was this other thing?

"Your actions are not just against the warrior code, but the DWMA as well," Mifune's voice called out.

Panic started to rise in Black Star, which proceeded to anger him. "That ain't right! I've been doing what's right! You don't know my path!"

"I'm sorry Black Star, but we have no choice, you've followed your father's footsteps." The darkness was clearing, but not the suffocating feeling. Sid was kneeling down in front of Black Star, Nygus raised above his head in weapon form. Sid's eyes were hard but watering as he stared down his seudo-son.

"I'm so sorry…" Nygus choked out.

Tsubaki found herself walking through Death City. The sun was laughing above her head, but the stores and restaurants were deserted. The silence was eerie, even for the dark town she now called home. Soon she was walking down an alleyway leading to one of the many fountains.

"Did you really think you could help them? Save them even?"

Tsubaki was suddenly face to face with Masamune, her older deceased brother. "Wh-what?" she stuttered in response. The air felt like it had been punched out of her.

"Your family."

Her parents now stood alongside Masamune. Their eyes were fogged over, looking their daughter over, but not really seeing her. Grins creeped across their faces, heads tilting slightly.

"Your friends."

All of a sudden Soul and Maka, both consumed with giggles, were in view. Their eyes were wide, as if they were trying to take everything in at once. "Hehe, our blood is black… yours should be too..." she overheard one of them say. Patty was holding Liz in weapon form, a crazed look in her eye. She was shooting at the air, shouting about killer giraffes.

"Or your partner."

"...followed your father's footsteps." Sid's voice carried across the square from behind Tsubaki. She swiveled around in time to see the three-star meister stab Black Star in the heart. She stared in horror as his blood pooled on the brickwork.

Someone's scream startled the pair awake. It took a few seconds for Tsubaki to realize she was the one responsible. The shock on both of their faces was clear as day.

"You're one of _them_ …?!"

"Freak!"

"Traitor!"

Short of breath was unusual for the meister considering she trained almost constantly, thanks to the DWMA, even under stress. Yet here she was, not able to breath as her secret spread throughout the school. Could your throat close just from stress? Cause that was how Kim felt, her world crashing before her eyes. Teacher to teacher, student to student, human to human, the whispering never seemed to cease. For such a large school, word traveled fast, and the word was witch.

"How did she even infiltrate the DWMA?" Black Star's obnoxious voice carried over the crowd forming around her. His eyes were deadly serious, scanning his newfound enemy.

Death the Kid and the Thompson sisters walked up, Liz's arms folded over her chest. "How did we ever trust her?"

They had somehow made it to the front of the school, right at the top of the stairs overlooking Death City. All of her teammates, her friends, backed into the crowd as the news reached them. Kilik, Harvar, the Twin Pots, every one of them looked at her differently. With disgust they turned away. "How did I ever love you?!" Oxford spat in her face.

Even after she collapsed, feeling faint, her own weapon, Jacqueline, wasn't sure what to do with her meister. "What will Lord Death do with you now?"

The murmured words seemed to crush Kim, making breathing rather difficult. The insults were like punches, emotionally and physically.

"I wonder if she's on Lord Death's list now…"

"Does that mean she could make me a Death Scythe?!"

The people she had trained with, fought with, became close with, would backstab her without hesitation because of her blood. Something she never had control over.

"I brought food for- Kim!" Faintly, Jacqueline's voice drifted to Kim. It was muffled, like being underwater. "Oh god! What happened?! Come on, wake up!" The more she spoke, the louder and clearer she became. "KIM! At least breath!"

 _I can't_ Kim thought angrily, her mouth bobbing open like a fish. "Please, just wake up!"

"I'm not asleep!" Kim spat angrily as she sat up. Jacqueline was kneeling beside her on the floor. The DWMA had faded away, revealing that she had been in her room the entire time. Kim took in the disheveled bed, her messy desktop and rippling window curtain as she came back to reality. She suddenly felt dizzy again, either from sitting up so quickly or finally getting more oxygen, it was difficult to tell. "It was just a nightmare…" Kim sighed.

"Why do we keep on getting nightmares, Professor? Specifically suffocating ones?" Soul asked before class one day after explaining the events of the past week. The room had cleared for lunch and Maka had stayed behind in their last class to ask Ms. Marie about what was discussed while she had been out.

This allowed Soul to ask their Professor and onsite doctor what was happening to them. Maka seemed reluctant to ask for help at the moment, but Soul knew they needed it. There had been two more suffocating nightmares since the first for Soul, one for Maka as far as he knew. He figured she had had more but wouldn't say. The only reason he knew of her second one was that he found her leaning against her bed taking shallow breaths while sleeping instead of under her sheets fast asleep.

"It may be the after effects of the Sky Witch's magic on Maka and since your soul resonance is so strong you're experiencing it too. Just make sure to sleep in the same room to keep an eye on each other's sleep patterns. It should pass soon." The explanation was offered too quickly for Soul's taste. The mad doctor's eyes flashed with worry, but quickly became passive.

The bell rang and students immediately started flooding the room, preventing Soul from inquiring further. He reluctantly headed toward his seat, grumbling about something fishy.

Maka entered soon after Soul was seated with Tsubaki and the Thompson sisters. She was giggling with the girls about something, but the usual light in her eyes wasn't there. _I hope we figure this shit out soon, we're both suffering here. I don't know how much more Maka can take..._

Class was uneventful for the most part. Soul drifted off a few times but was jarred awake by Maka poking him in the ribs. Sunlight shone through the window, making him a drowsy type of warm. _How is she staying awake?! I'm barely conscious…_ Stein was droning on about some dissection or something.

Once class ended most of the students rushed out, freedom beckoning them to the clear day outside. Maka and Soul lingered as the girls were caught up in conversation. Before Black Star could boast about his God-like abilities again, Soul's eye caught Jacqueline approaching Stein. Her face was etched with concern as she told him something. Stein's eyes again flickered with worry, but he quickly plastered a smile on his face and responded.

"Soul?" Maka touched his shoulder, her eyes wide in curiosity. He forced his gaze away from the front of the classroom toward his meister. "Kid just invited us to a party tonight, do you want to go?"

"Liz has been complaining that it's been too boring around here and a good party would fix that," Kid explained. Liz flashed a thumbs-up behind her meister.

"Yea, sure" Soul responded off-handedly, his mind still lingering on Stein.

Maka wasn't exactly in the mood for a party, but Liz and Patty had begged. "Maybe we can get Soul on the piano again!" Liz had suggested. So now she and Soul were on their way, fashionably late one could say.

Maka had taken her time deciding what to wear, prolonging the inevitable. _C'mon, you can do this! Just like old times!_ She smiled at herself in the mirror, looking at her outfit. It wasn't fancy, Liz hadn't mentioned formal attire, but it was more than casual. A deep emerald halter top was tucked into a light-wash jean skirt, a thin gold belt wrapped around her waist. When she had emerged from her room, ready to go, Soul was on the couch ready and waiting somewhat patiently. He had thrown on a purple t-shirt and navy blazer, dark wash jeans completing the dark color palette. The sky outside was fading to purple and pinpricks of light were starting to appear.

"Hey, guys! Glad you could make it!" Liz mused as the pair made their way up the steps. The music wasn't playing yet, as Soul had brought it. Liz had enjoyed his choices last time and asked him to act as DJ again.

The decorations were a bit much for this casual get together, but Liz had apparently let Patti have her fun. Yellow and brown balloons and streamers were everywhere like a sunflower had thrown up on the room.

Shortly Black Star and Tsubaki arrived and the assassin made a beeline to the snack table. Tsubaki chased after him, hoping to contain the mess as much as possible.

It didn't take long for some people to take the dance floor. Kid had made the party open to all DWMA students, to present a sense of community. As more guests arrived, the dance floor filled up and the room got stuffy. It reminded Maka of one of her recent nightmares where she had been sucking in hot air. She suddenly became fidgety, uncomfortable in her own skin. Her hands clenched and unclenched as they became moist with sweat. Maybe Soul could make her more comfortable, _but where is he?_ To escape this foreign feeling on her own she retreated to the courtyard located behind the mansion.

The cool night air felt nice against her skin. Her new surroundings were unfamiliar in the dark blanket of the sky. The lights from the mansion were spilling onto the brickwork, but it felt eerie instead of natural. A half wall cut the light off in a circle, preventing light to reach the garden. The courtyard patio led to stairs that seemed to go into a black sea. Maka decided to take a few minutes to sit on the wall edge. Quickly she realized how cold it really was out and cursed herself for not dressing more warmly. You'd think she'd know the drastic temperature changes of the desert by now, being a Death Child and all.

"Did you not bring a jacket? You're shivering." Soul's voice drifted up to Maka from the black abyss beyond the stairs. She had been staring into space facing the light, so her vision wasn't adjusted to the darkness like Soul's was.

"I didn't expect it to be this chilly," she scoffed in response.

"Why are you out here in the first place?" _I'm usually the one avoiding the party…_ As he said this he started up the stairs.

"Oh, it just got stuffy in there." Her eyes darted away, back into space. She felt Soul's hand graze her shoulder but didn't react.

While he took a seat next to Maka, Soul placed his blazer around her shoulders. "Are you okay? You haven't been yourself for a while…"

Maka took a moment to reminisce the past few months. So much had happened: the defeat of the Kishin, Crona being accepted back into the DWMA, Black Star and Tsubaki going away to train, Kid taking on more responsibility at the academy, and the sky witch's attack. So many emotions, it was difficult to keep up. Yet Maka hadn't been taking care of herself, and she knew it. _A sound soul dwells within a sound mind and a sound body. But my mind isn't sound._

The weight of everything on her mind finally caused her to make a tiny confession. "There's just so much shit and I don't know how to work through it." She looked Soul in the eye, a look of 'I'm sorry' written all over her face.

"But that doesn't explain why you haven't been talking to me. We're a team, Maka, and that means we trust and rely on each other. Do you not trust me anymore?" Soul asked, a touch of pain in his eyes even if he didn't believe what he just said.

"No! No, it's just, ever since we defeated the Kishin," she paused. "I've been having nightmares." Maka took a shuddering breath and closed her eyes, finding that as she spoke, the words came more easily. "I still have them sometimes, and I know they're stupid and not real, not possible, but they still get to me." Soul tried to keep his face neutral, sensing she had more to say. "I told the counselors at the academy at first. I don't know why but I decided it would be better to not tell them anymore at one point…" she continued on.

"But why didn't you tell me sooner? I could've helped you through it" Soul asked patiently, trying to hold back his annoyance.

For a few moments, Maka just stared at her hands in her lap. "I thought that if I could handle it myself, I could grow stronger in some way. They're just stupid nightmares on repeat. That if I was complaining about dreams that I was a baby or something. I guess I haven't fully outgrown those thoughts…"

Soul's eyes softened. "I get it…" He thought back to the dreams he had right after the first battle with Crona. He had never opened up to Maka about those either, so he was one to talk.

Maka shook her head, as if to shake away the statement, and asked, "have I really been acting differently?"

"Well for one, you're out here instead of inside with our friends. But the other things are more subtle."

"Like what?!" Maka prodded, curious to know what Soul noticed.

The glare he threw at her now was obviously saying "really?" "You haven't talked to me in months, like really talked." Maka opened her mouth to defend herself but Soul just plowed on. "You've been hiding things, like how little you were sleeping, even before Sukai. You've been putting on an act, but you haven't been fooling me. Did you really think I wouldn't notice?"

Maka bowed her head, realizing how much she had been hurting her partner by not sharing her hurt. Looking back, she had been stupid about not sharing with Soul. What was her problem?

"There's something else." Maka took a deep breath. "Recently I've been seeing the black blood demon in dreams. No, they're more like visions…"

Soul gaped at Maka. _That's supposed to be my demon, what's he doing messing with her?_

She pulled her knees to her chest before continuing. "He said I now have the black blood or a version of it I guess… I think it's somehow intertwined with my weapon blood." _Is that what the professor held back?_

The pair sat there in silence, watching the night sky. Maka picked out a few constellations and their stories came to mind. "Oh! Quick, make a wish!" The both of them watched the shooting star fly by while thinking of their wishes.

Eventually, Soul stood up and held his hand out. "C'mon, let's go enjoy this party." Maka barely hesitated and felt better than she had in months.

Black Star observed his friends on the patio from the snack table. Even though they were all together at an event, where many other capable DWMA students also were, he took his mission very seriously. Anything involving a close friend was important to him, whether he would outwardly admit it.

It seemed just yesterday that Maka and him were bumping into each other at the academy even though they weren't students yet. Oh, the trouble they had gotten into. Their combined determination, Maka's more subtle, is what must've drawn them together. They both had goals they knew they were going to achieve. It's what started their friendship many years ago, even if teasing and fighting have threatened it many times. _Heh, we sure have our differences..._

"Are you going to finish that, Black Star?" Patti had managed to finish her third plate of food while he was lost in thought. Her hand was already reaching out to grab his platter.

"Hell yea, get your own plate!"


	9. Chapter 9

Soul and Maka had tried to leave the party several times, but were always intercepted by someone and persuaded to stay a little longer. The group had managed to convince Soul to play a few songs on piano for everyone too. As Soul played, he noticed that Maka would be like her old self, which made him smirk. It wasn't until after midnight that they were allowed to go home.

The silence was more comfortable than before. Instead of the thick air that was between them before, it was relaxed. Maka was still wearing Soul's jacket, his familiar scent washing over her as they walked through Death City.

"Thank you." Even though she knew Soul already knew that she was grateful to him, Maka felt the need to voice it. He grinned in response, which was enough for her. The walk was less than ten minutes and before they knew it, they were in their respective beds, exhaustion taking over.

The library's shelves were sparse now, the floor empty except for a table and set of chairs. One of the chairs was taken by the ogre, though he didn't look the same. The deep red of his skin was now dull and lifeless. He was taller now, more human-like than before, but his horns and ears were still pointed. Maka didn't care for the demon, but she knew this change was tied to her somehow. "Why has your appearance changed?"

Even his voice was less rough as he responded: "just because I'm a part of you now doesn't mean I'll answer every question you ask…" He giggled at her frustrated expression.

"Well then, what questions will you answer?" Maka's eyes narrowed at him once again.

"Like 'why is this place so empty?" He mocked in a high pitched tone trying to mimic Maka.

"Fine, where did the shelves go?" She paraphrased.

"Good question!" He exclaimed. He stood up and approached, meeting her eye to eye. "Since you are now fully aware of your weapon blood, especially with all that research you did, there isn't much this place can tell you now." He paused, either for dramatic effect or genuine thought, but Maka couldn't tell which. "It is amazing, now that I think about it, that you remember these chit chats we have. Definitely, a fast learner, aren't you? Soon I'll be in your head all the time..." His wicked grin was the same, thin and wide like the Cheshire cat, and like _Alice in Wonderland,_ Maka was pushed into a dark rabbit hole.

She woke up on an unfamiliar battlefield, the scent of fresh earth filling her lungs. She was in her usual uniform, torn and bloody, face down on the ground. As she raised herself, she saw the chaos around her. Trees and boulders had been uprooted and thrown every which way. Something large had left deep tracks in the soil, the plant life destroyed. All of her comrades were battered and fallen, even the adults.

"I wonder if Maka's home…" Crona pondered aloud to Ragnarok. They were returning home from a long mission in South America, cut off from most of the world for close to a month. After Crona had helped Ms. Marie save Stein, Lord Death had retracted their sentence of exile.

"She better have candy for me if she is." The cool desert wind blew through their pink pixie hair. There was a chill to the air causing Crona to shiver even through their long-sleeved dress.

"I think it's too late to stop by, but we can try tomorrow."

The lamp posts' lights casted an eerie glow on the brickwork. The only sound that could be heard at the moment was Crona's footsteps, light taps on the alleyway ground. "I'm tired Ragnarok. We'll check in with Lord Death tomorrow."

The cobblestone streets were deserted, the city residents fast asleep. They shuffled their way to the DWMA where they still resided for now until they could find a new place. The moon grinned at them eerily as they traveled through Death City. When Crona finally hit their bed half an hour later, they fell asleep instantly.

"Heh, that was some party, right?" The pair were settling down in their dorm, relaxing before heading to bed. Harvar was flipping through a magazine, grunting before Oxford continued. "I think Kim might let me dance with her next time…"

A faint snort followed this wishful statement. "Why not ask her next time?"

Oxford let the scenario play out in his head. He would bow to her, offering his hand in the process. _Care for a dance?_ Vision-Kim was wearing a cute pastel dress that hung just below her knees, the sleeves and skirt puffed out a bit. _Oh, of course, Ox-kun!_ Just the thought of his darling Kim sent him into bliss.

A breeze pushed aside the curtains above Ox's headboard. The hot dorm air before the party had forced the windows open earlier in the day. "Could you shut the window, it's getting chilly in here." Harvar continued turning the pages of his magazine as he spoke.

Before Ox could reach up and close off the cold night air, he drifted into the forest behind the DWMA. Warm sunlight filtered through the leaves but goosebumps ran up his arms. Minutes ticked by as Oxford tried to figure out where he was supposed to be.

"Why do you even bother? Haven't I made it obvious?" Kim was leaning against a tree several feet away.

"What do you mean darling?" His tone was hesitant, unsure of where the conversation was heading.

"I'm. Not. Interested. Never have and never will." Kim was inspecting her nails, her tone sharp and to the point. It felt like she had stabbed Oxford through the heart. He thought she would warm up to him when she was ready, but apparently, that wasn't her plan.

"Hey! Oxford! Have you seen the exam results yet?" someone called to him.

All of a sudden, he was in front of the results board. Still recovering from Kim's confessions, only one name caught his eye. The poster read: "Oxford - 0." "H-how can this be?!" All around him he could hear hushed voices fathoming at his failure, some saying they had expected it. A group of girls passed by, giggling at his expression.

Before he could do anything about it, he was at Lost Isle, the magnetic field directly behind him. To his right, he could see Ms. Marie struggling with Professor Stein. _That's right,_ _Maka and the others made their way inside._

As he took in the rest of his surroundings, he realized he was alone. Kilik was in the grasps of a golem, unmoving and unconscious while Thunder and Lightning remained on his fists. _How long was I out of it?!_ Ox panicked. "We need to show these things who's the Lightning King, Harvar!" Yet, no response came from the weapon. Oxford was about to ask what was wrong when he saw something falling out of the sky.

About fifty feet away he saw a blur with pink hair falling out of the sky with a lantern in hand. Across the battlefield, in unison, the enemy chanted, "you have failed."

Finally, after slapping his Meister, Harvar could somewhat relax. Oxford was startled out of the suffocating dream and was now in a dazed confusion. "I'm calling Stein."

"Just monitor his breathing tonight and bring him in tomorrow." Stein closed the call on his mirror, contemplating this new turn of events. Obviously, there was a pattern, but what was the objective? Did they have another Medusa-like experiment on their hands, just on a wider scale?

"Another student Stein?" A high pitched voice crackled across the mirror, now filling up the screen again. The bright sky behind Lord Death illuminated the dark room.

"We should interview all the pairs affected immediately," Sid argued from behind Lord Death. "They can help us figure out why and how Sukai is doing this. Keep this from happening to the whole school."

Stein pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose before replying, "then we'll have to start with Maka and Soul. They encountered Sukai first and might remember more now." He lit a cigarette and took a drag. Smoke billowed from his mouth before he continued. "I also want to speak with Maka about training her weapon blood."

"That may be what Sukai is after, do we want to take that risk?" Sid posed. "She has obviously singled out Maka, based on the reports from the original attack. What if she's trying to take advantage of her abilities? Are we willing to take that risk?" Sid faced Lord Death as he finished.

"It will be her decision, and her's alone," Lord Death stated, seemingly closing the discussion.

"Maka and Soul, I need to speak with you." Stein had just finished the lesson and the class was packing up.

"What does he need now? More of your blood?"

"I hope not, I ate right before class," Maka replied seriously. It had been a week since the party and things were starting to get normal once again. Soul had made it a habit to ask Maka about her dreams each morning, getting her to talk about them. With each retelling, Maka was feeling more and more like her old self. After gathering her things, the pair approached the intimidating meister. "Yes, professor?" The classroom was now deserted aside from the three of them.

"Have either of you had any more of the suffocating dreams?"

The pair looked to each other, debating how to respond. Soul spoke first. "What's going on? Are others affected now?"

Stein ignored the question, asking a follow-up. "How often have they been occurring?"

It was Maka's turn to speak up now. "Almost nightly for me…"

"Is there a general theme to them?"

"Is there something we should know?" Soul's voice had an edge to it.

"Soul, he's just trying to help."

"That doesn't mean we don't deserve answers."

Seeing that Soul wasn't going to cooperate otherwise, Stein decided on a compromise. "We don't want to cause a panic, but several other E.A.T. pairs have experienced the same dreams."

"And they all started after Sukai's attack, that's why you're talking to us. But how?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out. Have all your dreams been the same?"

Maka played with her hands as she answered. "They're all a variation of basically the same thing."

"Do you have time to describe the dreams right now?" His eyes were piercing, urging her to say yes.

"I-" Maka stopped herself, debating her answer. "Yea, I can."

Soul could feel her soul tremble slightly, probably at the thought of reliving her nightmares. After Stein led the way to the dispensary, Soul whispered, "do you want me to stay with you?"

Maka nodded silently. After they all took a seat in the small room and Stein grabbed a pad of paper, Maka started describing her nightly visions. Recalling them to Stein was more awkward and choppy compared to when she told Soul. Like it wasn't her choice, just following orders like the soldier she was.

Stein remained impassive as he scribbled on the clipboard in his lap. Soul watched as Maka played with the hem of her skirt and shuffled her feet in her chair. He could hear her heartbeat across the room, or was that his? Either way, this was so not cool.

"That is sufficient. I just had one more question, Maka. What are your thoughts on the weapon blood inside you?"

Maka froze and stared at the professor. "I'm not really sure. I mean, I guess it makes sense considering my parentage, but there are other meisters with weapon parents without weapon blood. I don't trust it. That I'm positive of Professor."

"It's a part of you whether you use it or not. You certainly would not be able to use it in a fight for some time, but more people are learning of your abilities every day." He considered the young meister over his glasses.

"This a decision you have to make on your own and you have some time to think it over. We could help you train your weapon blood. It won't happen overnight, but it could be worthwhile."

Stein's words rung through the Meister's head during the entire walk home, through dinner and homework, and now, as she prepared for bed. _It seems simple enough, but it feels like a trap. Is this what Sukai wants? And what about Soul? Would I have to leave him?_

"Are you done in there? I need to brush my pearly whites too!"

Maka opened the door but didn't step out. "What's your opinion Soul?"

She didn't need to specify what she was asking about. Soul's sneer turned into a thoughtful frown. "It seems suspicious that that witch's attack helped trigger a new ability-" Maka's eyes lit up, agreeing with Soul. "-But, you need to be able to protect yourself." Maka's delight faded as she remembered the even bigger target on her back. "Maybe give it a try and see how it goes?"

"But the DWMA might separate us if-"

"We've broken the rules before. Who says we can't again?"

A few days passed and Maka still hadn't made a decision. She knew Soul had a point, a really good point, but she couldn't shake the feeling that this is what Sukai had planned. The ogre hadn't visited her since Stein had made his offer.

"Come on Maka, play with us!" Black Star's voice broke her thin concentration.

"Then the teams wouldn't be even," Maka called from the bench, holding her place in the book she was trying to read.

"You can take my place for a while," Tsubaki volunteered. Maka groaned inwardly. Even though she had agreed to come, she really wanted to work through her problem.

"C'mon bookworm, interact with the real world!" Soul's voice was light, but his eyes were contorted in either worry or fear, it was hard to tell at this distance.

Maka shut her book and set it aside next to Liz, who had tagged along but didn't want to break a nail. The group cheered in victory as she entered the court and Tsubaki left. Maka was now with Kid and Patti. Soul, Black Star, and Crona made up the other team.

The game of three on three went on until the final score was 28 to 30. "A lot better since your first time huh, Maka? I'm just happy that our score ends in 8."

"Uh, Kid, aren't you team captain though?"

"Pu-nish-ment! Pu-nish-ment!"

"Oh, wait, no! Please don't touch anything!" Patti and Black Star were already running in the direction of Gallows Manor.

The rest of the group chuckled. As they all followed suit, Crona approached Maka. "How did your mission go? You were gone for a while."

"I-it took longer than expected. There was a lot of stuff I couldn't deal with, like this gang with weird masks." They paused, recalling the experience. "So, um, I heard what happened. How are you?"

"I'm… adjusting. Professor Stein offered to help me train my weapon blood…"

"Are you going to?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out." Maka let her gaze drift ahead, watching Kid struggle to get inside of his home. Through the window, Patti could be seen dangling the keys.

"You can always stop, right?"

"I-I guess." Maka paused mid-step. "Actually, yeah. I can." Her voice oozed with confidence. Crona smiled in response. A wide grin spread across her face for the first time in months. "Thanks, Crona."


	10. Chapter 10

When Maka started getting excited about her weapon training, she imagined training with other weapons, maybe even Soul. She would be in this imaginary class while remaining in her E.A.T class Crescent Moon. It would be a lot of hard work and responsibility to stay on top of her work, but she knew if she focused she could do it.

Instead, Shinigami-sama broke the news to her. "Death Scythe will teach you how to use your blades. Soul can offer guidance out of the classroom, but Death Scythe will be your main instructor."

No matter how much pleading she did, the answer was the same. The first lesson wasn't too bad. Spirit had stayed relatively professional about the arrangement. But that had been a little over a month ago, and with lessons every other weekday, Spirit was becoming more clingy and annoying as the weeks went by.

"Father was telling me about a particularly troublesome group operating on the west coast. Looks like he's sending us to take care of them."

"Oh, would we be able to meet some celebrities?" Liz's eyes glazed over as she pictured meeting her favorite eye candies.

"Actually, they operate further north, on the Bay. Have you ever seen the Golden Gate Bridge? I wonder if I could get a perfectly symmetrical picture…"

"Is the bridge actually gold?"

"No Black Star, it's red. It gets its name from the strait it crosses."

"Where did you read that Maka?"

"In a tour guidebook."

"When did you read that? We've never been there," Soul asked incredulously.

"Momma was going to take me a few years ago, but she got busy."

Kid continued talking about the mission. "The killers we'll be dealing with are not normal kishin eggs, so we will need to be on high alert."

"Why are we seeing Lord Death if you already know? Let's go!" Black Star was about to take off when Maka grabbed him by the scarf. Her grip was tight and she easily reigned him back. Patti started laughing hysterically at the sight.

"Unlike you, we like to get all the available information before charging."

It wasn't long before the group was before Lord Death. "Hey, hiya, how are ya?"

"Good morning Shinigami-sama!"

"I am assuming you want us to pursue the kishin eggs in California, father?" Kid took reign on the conversation, being the most skilled at keeping his father on topic.

"You betcha! It seems several of them have teamed up, making this too big for a single pair to take on. They've been spotted several times in the Santa Cruz mountains, so I would start there. Well, good luck!"

Maka could feel the demon's smile, the two of them anxious to fight. She tried to push the anxiety to the back of her mind.

It didn't take long for the group to be on a plane heading towards the neighboring state. Black Star used the time to warm up, planking on the floor of the cabin, to the displeasure of the flight attendants. Patti was busy drawing with her crayons, trying to get Tsubaki to join her. Maka was pressed against the window immersed in a book, oblivious to her surroundings.

Soul was just about to tune out and plug in his headphones when Kid turned to him. "So how's everything?" His tone was light, but Soul knew the implications. Liz turned her attention away from her manicure to hear the weapon's response.

Soul shrugged. "Eh, you know, one step at a time. She's a lot more excited for this mission than she's letting on though, don't let her fool ya."

"But what about you?" Liz pursed her lips. "We can see it's taking a toll on you too."

The demon scythe smirked. "Just gotta keep looking forward, right?"

"Did you know that the Santa Cruz mountains are home to the oldest state park in California?" The group quickly learned what Maka had been speed reading during their flight: a tour book of the Bay Area. "It's called Big Basin and it's home to an old-growth redwood forest. I wonder if we'll end up there."

They were all walking along Skyline Boulevard, the road that stretched most of the Santa Cruz mountains. Kid had suggested searching for clues along the ridgeline to try and pinpoint the targets.

"Also, hundreds of earthquakes occur in the Bay Area alone yearly, but most are small and don't make the news."

"Is she always like this?" Liz used an undertone to ask Soul, not wanting to offend the scythe meister.

"Pretty much, unless we've already visited the area before. A walking encyclopedia…"

"Apparently Charles Manson wanted to establish a base along this road but-"

"OH WILL YOU SHUT UP ALREADY! You're giving me a headache!" Black Star interrupted.

If looks alone could kill, the assassin would no longer be breathing. "No. I won't. Surprisingly there have been several serial killers who have been active in the area throughout history. The Doodler and Dating Game Killer operated-"

"Did you guys hear that?!" Liz quaked behind Patti, staring into the forest. A breeze rustled the leaves of the surrounding plant life.

Maka and Kid closed their eyes, focusing on the souls in the area. Before they could fully focus, Black Star made a battle cry. "Tsubaki, transform!"

The two meisters' eyes flashed open to see a man approach. Glasses were embedded into his face, skin growing around the nose piece. He was a big man, not of muscle but sheer size. In one hand he carried a woman's disembodied head by her hair, while something in his other hand glinted in the fading sunlight. The other demon weapons followed suit, landing in their meisters' grasps.

"The Co-ed Killer, you will pay for the sins you have committed!" Kid took one of his Reaper stances as he spoke.

"Hehehe looks like we aren't the only ones who teamed up…" Black Star caught movement in the corner of his eye and deflected the bullet that would've ended up in Maka's back. The person who fired the shot was mostly bald except for the sideburns running down his cheeks. His eyes were cold and trained on the assassin, two small caliber guns aiming for Black Star's chest.

"So that must make you the Trailside Killer…" Black Star readied Tsubaki's chain scythes, preparing to pounce.

Meanwhile, Maka sensed a third soul to her left and turned accordingly. Soul's staff was getting hotter the longer she held on, but she ignored the sensation. The man had a ski mask on, obscuring his features, but the symbol on his chest told all. As she stared down the barrel of his gun, Maka growled. "Zodiac Killer, your days of terrorizing the Bay Area are over, your soul is mine!"

The Co-ed Killer spoke up once again. "You kids don't have a chance against us!" He rushed at Kid, aiming for his stomach. The knife grazed Kid's skin as he used Patti to shoot several wavelength bullets into the man. His mass seemed to deflect the basic attack.

Black Star had used the killer's babbling as an opening to swipe at the Trailside Killer. He jumped out of reach, sending several bullets in Black Star's direction. The assassin used speed star to dodge.

Maka, on the other hand, was still trying to calm herself down. The fact that her and Soul's wavelengths were out of sync had put her at a disadvantage. She knew she wasn't the strongest on the team, and this certainly wasn't helping. The Zodiac kept shooting at her and it took everything to dodge and block the bullets, spinning Soul as fast and smoothly as she could manage. _If only I could get close enough, then I could use witch hunter. We need to communicate as a team..._

The scythe meister proceeded to slide past the serial killer so that she was on the edge of the forest. She could see her teammates spread across the tarmac in their own fights. Black Star seemed to be distracted, turning back to Maka every so often. Kid was trying to get enough time and space to use soul resonance but was failing.

"Trying to escape, little girl?" The Zodiac's voice was low and rough like he hadn't used it in years. "You're not my type, but I'll make an exception." He had used the time to refill his clip and slid it back into the gun. Bullets were sent Maka's way, and she was forced to back into the forest for cover. Annoyingly, the defensive maneuvers were more exhausting on her than usual.

"Maka, is everything alright?" Soul's reflection appeared on the blade, his eyes furrowed.

"Your handle's burning me like when we fought Free, but I can't not fight. They need me out there, Black Star isn't focused on the fight." She rushed to the next tree, dodging bullets as she went. "We need to do chain resonance and end this faster."

Soul bit his lip. _Black Star's only trying to make sure Maka's safe, but I can't tell her that… ugh, this is so not cool._ "But won't resonance hurt you more?"

Maka spun to avoid flying tree bark as bullets connected with the trunk she was now behind. "Do you have any better ideas? Cause I'm all ears!"

Without waiting for a reply, Maka activated her soul perception to see where everyone now was. Her current target was about 20 feet away to her right. Her team and their opponents were maybe 100 feet to her left. If she could just guide her pursuant back to the main battle… _What if I used the trees…?_ The meister used her weapon as a grappling hook to raise herself into the canopy. She proceeded to jump from branch to branch towards her teammates. She didn't bother keeping quiet as she wanted the Zodiac to follow, though he probably didn't need much motivation.

Once she was within communication range again she was panting heavily. Apparently, she was more out of shape than she realized. "Guys, let's get serious!" She yelled as she jumped down from the tree. The boys spun and met her eyes, knowing exactly what she meant.

The team all shouted in unison, "let's go, soul resonance!" The power being exchanged between the pairs was incredible. Maka watched as their souls grew, but felt the same choking feeling from Sukai's attack consume her. She fought to stay standing, refusing to give in to the stupid spell.

Of course with the nature of sharing wavelengths, everyone was immediately aware of Maka and Soul's predicament. _Black Star, handle this brute while I take out the other two._ Kid thought quickly, sensing Maka was close to her limit.

Just as Kid made to switch opponents, shots were fired in his direction from the Zodiac. Maka moved as fast as she could manage and spun Soul to block the gunfire. _Hurry up! I think Maka's close to passing out!_ Soul's voice rung out in the link.

Black Star back-flipped so that he was facing the Co-ed killer now. "Tsubaki, Ninja sword mode!" He rapidly swiped at his opponent, connecting several times.

Kid forced his attention on the Trailside Killer, forcing the man backward with a barrage of bullets. "You sick bastard, you will pay for the innocent souls you cut short!"

Maka was slowing down, some of the bullets rushing past her instead of bouncing off Soul. She could feel her little demon whispering in her ear. " _Just give in, let the madness give you your own blades…"_ _Screw you…_ she thought back in response, but knew it was only a matter of time.

"Uncanny sword mode! Soul resonance!" Black Star spun and aimed the blade at the killer's stomach. The Co-ed killer stepped out of the way so that Tsubaki only grazed him. Black Star growled. "Stay still… Shadow star!" Tsubaki held the man in place while the assassin drove her blade cleanly through the man's stomach. The killer's body disappeared, leaving a red floating orb in its place.

At the same time, Kid was preparing his final attack. "Liz! Patti! Soul resonance!" The Trailside Killer was still recovering from the hail of bullets and struggled to reload. "Resonance stable, noise level 0.05%..." The countdown was imminent, and the serial killer knew his fate was sealed.

Just as Maka heard the Co-ed killer's final cry, she felt her knees hit the ground. She felt heavy, like she was deep underwater, her surroundings muffled. Strangely, she could still see what was going on, and it was slightly terrifying. She could see Soul in his weapon form vibrating, likely yelling at her, still grasped in her right hand. The Zodiac killer's eyes were trained on hers, staring her down as he pointed the gun at her, ready to pull the trigger in her face.

Without thinking or trying, her left arm transformed into a scythe blade and she thrust it into the serial killer. _A-am I in control?_ She thought hazily.

The demon chuckled. " _Have you ever been?"_ Maka was now in the library again, face to face with a new horror. The ogre was nowhere near the same as when she had first found herself so far in her soul. His features were softer and more human-like, no traces of his horns. His skin was closer to hers now, replacing the dull gray it had been the last time she had seen him. Making a double take, she wasn't sure that he qualified as a 'he' anymore; his chest had swelled slightly and black hair had grown.

"How did you take control?!" Her frustration caused her to stomp right up to her inner demon. "I'm the only one who can use my weapon blood!"

"Who do you think I am? I am you now, there is no difference now. You just have to accept reality." Their voice had changed pitch and was a sickly kind of sweet. The girl in front of Maka smirked, basking in her victory.

"Just because you're a part of me doesn't mean you can have control!" Maka ran down one of the aisles, searching for anything that could help. The demon followed at a more leisurely pace.

"We share this body, you don't have a choice anymore…" Maka flung one of the shelves so that it landed on her opponent's head. The demon easily held it up. "We share the same thoughts, same knowledge, same strength. It's futile trying to run from the truth."

"Maka! What the hell! Wake up you stubborn bookworm!" Soul's voice carried through the window. Maka could feel his soul vibrate with worry. She was reminded of when she saved him from the madness.

 _That's it. I know what I need to do!_ The demon's eyes went wide with fear.

"If you do that, you'll never be able to master your weapon blood!" The girl crossed her arms across her chest, trying to keep the calm facade in place.

"Then give me back my body, you heathen!" Maka's eyes were deadly, aching to attack.

The demon turned as if to listen in on a far-off conversation and smirked. "Alright, here ya go!"

Without warning, Maka was thrown back to reality, the muffled feeling dissipating. Her vision returned to her surroundings and she noticed her arm was still a scythe, blood sliding from the tip back towards her elbow. The sudden rush of oxygen was dizzying. She dropped to her knees slowly, taking the scene in. In several slow blinks, she noticed that her friends were breathing heavily, watching her closely. Her original opponent, the Zodiac, was floating to her left, only his soul remaining. She looked her friends up and down and noticed more cuts littered their bodies.

Her eyes widened as she put the pieces together. _I attacked them. My teammates, my friends._

"Maks…? You b-" Without hearing what Black Star had to say, the young meister got to her feet and backed away, horror on her face.

Her arm went back to normal, the scythe shattering. _I lost control. I could've killed them. Oh Death, why?_ Soul transformed back, his eyes soft.

"Maka, calm down, it wasn't your-" She could hear him, but wasn't really listening. It felt like her heart was going to jump out of her chest with how fast it was beating.

Without warning, she took off, tears clouding her vision. To where she didn't know. All she knew was that she had some soul searching to do.

"Maka!" Soul made to go after his meister but was held back by Tsubaki. "What? Why are-"

"Dude, she needs to calm down before any of us can reach her. What the hell happened anyway?" Black Star folded his arms, surprisingly calm.

"Obviously, she wasn't quite ready." Kid threw Liz and Patti in the air so that they could transform back. "Have you guys been training together?"

"Stein wouldn't let us come if we didn't show him that we were ready. She was fine yesterday, I don't know why she suddenly changed." Soul rubbed the back of his head. "It's probably that stupid spell on her…"

"What, it's still on her?" Black Star's expression was incredulous as if the very fact offended him.

"It's not like the spell Arachne put on her, this one has to be broken it seems. That's why she's not on top of her game. I thought she was on it enough, but I guess not." Soul sighed.

Tsubaki approached the demon scythe and placed her hand on his shoulder. "We'll figure it out, together. Spells are always tricky."

Liz put her hands on her hips. "This is Maka we're talking about. I have no doubt that she'll be back to normal in no time. The party seemed to really lift her spirits, maybe it's time for another one!"

"Contrary to your beliefs, parties don't solve everything." Kid sighed, a grin pulling at his cheek.

"Maybe just a dinner or something? We could invite Crona, I'm sure Maka would love that!" Tsubaki could see her friends laughing at the park already.

While the group was busy, Black Star faded into the shadows and followed Maka. It wasn't difficult, she was thundering through the forest. The short and stubby trees had quickly morphed into towering redwoods, making tree hopping more difficult. More difficult, but not impossible. Soon he found her in the middle of a circle of redwoods on her knees. His advanced hearing picked up her crying and decided to approach slowly.

"Why are you following me?" Maka didn't look up, grasping the hem of her skirt.

"Soul was getting whiny and asked his god-"

"I know that's not the reason. You've been following me everywhere, throughout Death City." Though her words rang true, even Black Star could tell she didn't really care about his actions at the moment. The assassin held his tongue, letting her take lead for once. The temperature was dropping fast and soon, the fog rolling in.

"Why are you here?" Her voice was strong on the breeze, defiance clear as day. She was holding her knees to her chest now, closing herself off.

"To remind you of the tornado that you are." He lowered himself to sit next to her. She was staring off into the distance, watching the needles fall from the trees.

"Was that supposed to be a compliment?" Maka scoffed.

"It's the truth. You're a force to be reckoned with when you're focused. You really do help your god." Black Star was staring up at the darkening sky. "Just cause you tripped up doesn't mean you're weak."

"I could've hurt you guys." Her voice had turned small now, and Black Star almost didn't catch her words. "I did hurt you guys. I wasn't able to control-"

"And that's the thing Maks, you weren't in control. Stop beating yourself up over the bush, you have a city to tear apart!"

Slowly, the stars blinked into view. Maka turned to her childhood friend, seeing him in a new light. She chuckled. "That is the weirdest analogy I've heard in awhile."

"Ehh, you know what your god meant!"


	11. Chapter 11

Maka had read the same paragraph five times now. It was a good book, a twist on the twelve dancing princesses, but she simply couldn't focus.

"Should I just exorcize the madness?" The scythe meister was splayed out on the couch, looking up from her abandoned book. She was continuing the conversation her and Soul had started on several occasions but never finished.

"You've been able to do that this whole time?!" Maka could hear the spatula clatter to the ground. Grumbling, he responded, "What's holding you back?"

"I didn't know I could do it before the last mission!" She rolled her eyes. The California mission had been a few weeks ago now, and they were still trying to decide how to proceed. She started to play with the hem of her shirt, weaving the fabric between her fingers. "Besides, everyone was pushing me to use the weapon blood. I can't use it without the demon."

Soul finished their lunch, simple grilled cheese sandwiches, and brought it to the table. When he looked up, Maka was staring at the ceiling, her book on her chest.

The demon scythe approached his meister, stopping short of the couch. When he looked down, their eyes locked. "She hasn't popped in my head since… I feel like she's waiting for my guard to be down."

"Do you _want_ to use the weapon blood?" He held out his hand, motioning for her to get up. She took his, placing a bookmark in the open book with her free hand before sitting up. He easily pulled her up into a standing position.

The two sat in comfortable silence as they ate. Maka turned the question over in her mind, trying to pinpoint her answer. It wasn't until she was in front of the sink cleaning up that she spoke up. She stopped scrubbing the pan, letting the soapy water settle. Soul was still at the table, scrolling through his phone. "I want to get stronger, but I feel like this is what Sukai wanted. It's too convenient."

Soul looked up from his phone, considering Maka's answer. "Ultimately, Medusa wanted me to use the black blood, right? But that worked against her in the end. I think if it gets too out of control, you can cut the cord then and there."

Maka grimaced. "If it gets too out of hand then it would be too late." She thought back to when they were fighting the serial killers in the Santa Cruz mountains. "I came dangerously close on the last mission."

"If you're going to shoot down my opinions, why did you ask?" Soul growled. He made to get up, but the expression on his meister's face stopped him. His features softened. Maka looked completely lost, like any decision she made would be the wrong one.

Soul stood up and approached Maka. She was staring at her feet, eyebrows furrowed. "Hey, we've been through worse. I'll always pull you out if you get too deep."

The young scythe meister sighed. She kicked at the ground before saying, "yea, you're right. I really am a worry-wart sometimes, huh?" Maka pouted as she met Soul's gaze.

"I thought that was my job…" Soul's comment elicited a small giggle from the teenage girl.

The group was currently splayed out in one of the parks in Death City enjoying a picnic. Tsubaki had managed to coordinate everyone's schedules to get everyone together. The sun beat down on them as the wind rustled the grass. The gang had been happily munching on Tsubaki and Maka's cooking.

"You never answered my question in the forest Black Star. Why are you following me?" Maka had sprung the question so suddenly that everyone was stunned into silence. Her piercing eyes bore into Black Star's defiant ones.

"The real question is why are you following your god everywhere I go, huh? Are you trying to study me? I guess that's a step in the right direction…" Maka scoffed at his rebuttal.

Before she could point out the obvious flaws in his retort, like how she sensed him near her apartment every morning and evening, Soul cut in. "So Crona, how're you adjusting to being in Death City again?" Maka glared at her weapon, but let the matter drop once again.

Crona finished the sandwich they were eating and handed one to Ragnarok before answering. "Well, my c-classes are okay. Ms. Marie has been helping me c-catch up. I did find an apartment t-that would work, it's on Tomb street."

"Oh! That's only a few blocks over from us!" Maka's eyes lit up, forgetting about her supposed anger at Soul. "Is that the only one that you've liked so far?"

"Y-yes. Ragnarok scares off most of the landowners even in this city."

"Oh that's ridiculous, they've all seen a lot worse… they need to grow a pair if he scares them," Liz commented before taking a sip of lemonade.

"What'd ya say blondie? Wanna say it to my face?!" Before Ragnarok could do any real damage, Tsubaki stuffed a few more sandwiches in his mouth.

"What about you, Kid? We all know you've been doing more for Shinigami-sama." Tsubaki asked, trying to steer the conversation as best as she could.

"Father has been entrusting more duties to me. He's been having me decide who makes it on the list and he checks it over before approving it. Little things like that." He deflated as he continued on. "The hardest part is making sure my writing stays completely neat."

"Wow, that's really impressive Kid! You'll definitely be ready sooner rather than later!" Maka mused over her friends' progress, reminiscing back to when they all first met.

"How's your training going? The California mission seemed to take a toll." Kid had a talent for weaving serious topics into light and airy conversation.

"Oh, Soul and I have stabilized our resonance and I haven't had difficulty breathing while sparring, which is progress I guess. Papa thinks we're getting close in my weapon training to have Soul practice with us as well." Maka was blushing and rubbing the back of her head nervously. "I want to go on another mission soon, but others have a different say…"

"Maybe cause it was too soon last time…" Soul grumbled under his breath, but Maka still heard it. She was grabbing her book when Kid spoke once again.

"I'm sure it is all in your best interest, Maka. No one wants you to push yourself for no reason."

The walk home was peaceful. Patti did cartwheels the whole way, causing fellow pedestrians to change their path. Kid and Liz took their time, enjoying the quiet dusk.

"You know Maka's gonna grumble about what you said…"

"Sometimes she just needs a reminder. Really, she pushes herself too much."

"Well when she has teammates like you and Black Star, it's no wonder she feels like she needs to do more."

Kid scoffed. "Maka is a very capable meister who is invaluable. She knows that." Liz rolled her eyes at her meister. "The fight against Asura is more than enough evidence of such."

"You really can't see it from her side?" Kid's eyebrows tilted, encouraging the weapon to explain. "She's been benched since that fight. The first mission she gets after literal months throws her into the dispensary and limits her. When she finally thinks she's recovered from that, she's thrown on her knees again. No wonder she's itching to prove herself…"

Kid watched Patti almost slam into a passing couple. The woman quickly yanked her boyfriend out of the way before the weapon could make contact. A frustrated sigh escaped his lips.

They approached Gallows Manor in silence. Well, almost silence. Patti was making animal noises now, having abandoned the cartwheels.

"How do you suggest we help her then?" The young shinigami turned to face his weapon, valuing her opinion.

The demon pistol put her fingers to her chin. "Maybe we should take her on a mission or two so that she can adjust at her own pace. Solo missions are hard to gauge. If you mess up, the whole thing can go to pieces. This way Maka and Soul can be at ease knowing if something does go wrong, they won't be alone."

Kid considered the idea. "And we would be giving Black Star a break from his ongoing mission. He's obviously getting antsy."

The group settled into the main room where Patti immediately turned the television on to cartoons. "Well, I'll see you guys in an hour, I need a bath."

"Don't forget to open a window, you know how I feel about fogged windows!"

Liz rolled her eyes. _It's not even your bathroom…_

Two hours had passed and still no Liz. Kid had managed to put up with watching _Powerpuff Girls_ with Patti, but a sense of foreboding overcame him.

Tentatively he reached out to her with his wavelength. He had walked in on the young woman, naked, on several occasions early on in their partnership and didn't want to upset her.

He gasped. Liz was hunched over, roughly 15 feet away from Kid. He noticed blood pooling around her as she held someone in her arms. The person's arms were shaking with Liz's sobs. She was cradling a bleeding Patti on a forest floor.

It was surreal because he could feel the couch under his touch. The cartoon theme song was playing in the distance. Yet Liz seemed oblivious to her meister.

Kid forced himself to move in the dream, wanting to get a better grasp on the situation. Liz was muttering into her sister's body. It wasn't until he was directly behind her that he saw another body.

His heart skipped a beat.

He was staring down at his own body, bloody and bruised, deathly still. A single drop of the crimson liquid slid out of his mouth.

"No, no, no, you guys. You're not supposed to die on me dammit! Come back, please! Just come back!"

Her pleas jerked him out of the trance. Without a word, he dashed to Liz's room and crashed into the bathroom. The weapon hadn't even turned the tap on, struggling to breathe on the tile floor.

"Liz! Snap out of it!" Kid took her by the shoulder to lay her on her back.

An unusually small voice spoke behind him. "Sis?"

"Patti, get Stein here at once." The weapon was frozen to the spot, her usual cheeriness and energy gone. Her cutthroat attitude was back in the living room, shock taking over her very being. "Patti! Hurry!"

She met his eyes before returning a curt "right!" She strode across the room to her sister's vanity.

Kid returned his attention to the barely breathing weapon. "Don't you dare die on me…" he muttered before touching his forehead to hers.

He plummeted into the grove of trees once again. The darkness had grown stronger, overtaking the area. He strode towards Liz, noticing she had moved since he last saw her.

She was now cradling Patti's head in her lap while trying to shake her meister awake. "Wake up Kid! You can't die here! You're a shinigami, dammit, you're supposed to take your father's place!"

He tried to move quickly, but the air seemed dense. It was like trying to walk through a dense foam pit with just your head sticking out.

Tears were streaming down her face now, soaking her crop top. "Please! There's still so much we need to do!" Her breathing was shallow now, her chest rising ever so slightly.

"Liz! I'm here!" Kid fought his way through the madness and to his weapon.

Her head drooped towards her meister. "I never got to thank you…"

She turned back to her sister. "I was supposed to die before you. You can't leave me alone! Patti, come back!"

She crumpled to the ground, her hands tugging at her family's hands. "Don't leave me dammit!"

He finally reached her, placing his hand on her shoulder. She jumped at the touch. "I'd never dream of it." Liz lifted her head to look at him.

Her eyes widened in disbelief, her cheeks red from her tears. Her hand clenched the dead meister's hand harder. "But, but I watched-"

"Let's get you out of here." Kid made to help her up, but she shook him off.

"NO! You're not real!" She fell to the ground again, her breathing short once more.

"Elizabeth! I am real and you are dying! If you don't come with me right now, I won't be able to save you!" The darkness was pressing in on the two of them and he was slowly being forced out.

When she didn't respond, Kid let out an annoyed breath. "You're really going to leave Patti behind!? I don't want to reap your soul just because you wouldn't listen!"

As if on cue, the young pistol's voice drifted down to them. "Sis! Kid! Wake up you sluts!" Her pitch had surprisingly reached a new high.

Liz shot up like her sister's voice gave her new energy. Her head finally turned to Kid and their eyes met. Her expression was wet and grief-stricken as she let go of the vision family. Without hesitation, the weapon and meister held each other as the world became dazzlingly bright.

"Father, has Azusa found Sukai?" Kid used the mirror in the dispensary bathroom to contact Lord Death. When Stein had arrived at Gallows Manor, Kid demanded that they run tests immediately. The group was now back at the school, Patti sleeping next to her drained sister. "This is getting out of hand."

"Oh dear, things are getting serious." As usual, the god's face was unreadable. "I will tell her to double her efforts if possible."

"We still need to figure out how she's attacking us right under our nose…" Kid contemplated the situation. "If we go in blindly, she'll easily overtake us. Based on Maka and Soul's encounter, she knows us quite well…"

"I agree! I believe you, Stein and Maka are the most familiar with the Sky Witch. I'm sure if you all put your heads together we'll have the answer!"

"Yes, I will think on this. Thank you, Father." The call cut out but Kid remained in place, his fingers on his chin.


End file.
